


The Little Book Of Free Oneshots (On hiatus)

by 22Bean22



Category: Free!
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Requests, gonna be adding tags, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-07-01 21:24:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 49,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15782397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/22Bean22/pseuds/22Bean22
Summary: Contents:Rei x Nagisa (1,3)Rin x Sousuke (4)Haru x Makoto (7)Rei x Rin (8,18,19)Sousuke x Makoto (10, 11, 12, 13)Rin x Haru (14, 15)Asahi x Kisumi (16)Others (2, 5, 6, 9, 17)[Taking Requests]





	1. Distractions {Reigisa}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Welcome to the first oneshot! Is there any better way to start a book than with some Reigisa? Nah.

"I wish I could swim like Haruka-senpai..." Rei mumbled incoherently, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the freestyle swimmer cut through the water. His goggles were hanging limply around his neck, forgotten and abandoned as Rei halted his own practice to admire his teammate instead. 

"Aw, don't worry, Rei-chan!" A small blond head entered Rei's field of vision. Rei dragged his gaze away from Haru, and instead turned to Nagisa, who was smiling up at him playfully. "You'll get it eventually! You have the body for it, after all!" 

Without another word, Nagisa turned and began paddling away. Rei watched him go, his purple eyes drawn wide as he processed Nagisa's words. It wasn't exactly an odd occurrence, Rei was used to comments about his muscles. He spent at least an hour with Gou at the club everyday, after all, and she never seemed to get tired of muttering excessively to herself about the entire team's bodies. He'd grown accustomed to her small fangirling sessions, and was able to shrug them off with a smile. However, with Nagisa, he couldn't help but feel slightly different. 

They were only words of comfort. Nagisa was just being a good friend, trying to get Rei to believe in himself, right? There was nothing but supportive friendliness behind that, right? Rei moved to push up his glasses, as he always did when he was nervous or evaluating a situation. Unfortunately, they weren’t there, and he just ended up slapping himself in the face. Come to think of it... Why was he getting so worked up about it? Even if there was a little more to Nagisa's words than there had been on the surface, it was over now. Only just a sentence. Nothing else. Why did Rei care so much? 

The answer was obvious to him. The truth was, for quite a while, Rei had been struggling to figure out the feelings he had for Nagisa. There was just something about him that was infuriatingly endearing. Maybe it was the light-hearted smile, sparkling eyes, fluffy hair, bubbly personality. Maybe it was the positive stubbornness, the open-mindedness that Rei had found so frustrating at first. Possibly it was a combination of all of those things. Either way, Rei had developed a crush, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It was extremely irritating, to be honest. He hadn't planned to develop romantic feelings towards anyone, especially not the little nuisance who had dragged the reluctant Rei to the swim club in the first place. But, these things couldn't be helped. Rei knew that there was nothing he could do now, his feelings had been realised, so all he could do was figure out what to do with his emotions. 

Actually confessing to Nagisa was completely out of the question. Rei wasn't one who would just leap into things head first, he liked to evaluate things, hence the glasses-habit that he carried out nearly everyday. Instead of directly talking to Nagisa about his feelings, he would scout the situation out a little more. Try and discover how Nagisa felt, if there was any chance of Rei's attraction being returned. He had to be certain before he actually did anything, for embarrassing himself in from of Nagisa was one of the worst things Rei could ever do, namely because of the huge amounts of teasing he would earn himself because of it. 

Yes. That was it. Rei would try to figure out how Nagisa felt. Things could progress from then on. 

By the time Rei was content with his inner turmoil, the session was ending, the sun's light beginning to become a deeper shade of yellow, outlining the surroundings in a beautiful orangey glow. 

Rei hurriedly climbed out of the pool and made his way towards the changing rooms. 

"Good work today, everyone!" Makoto called out cheerfully. "Haru and I are going to stay out a little longer, but you two can leave whenever you want," He added, smiling gently as Rei and Nagisa crossed past him. 

"Thank you, Mako-chan!" 

"See you tomorrow, Makoto-senpai." 

Rei followed Nagisa down the steps, trying to keep his eyes from fixing their calculating stare on the person in front of him. He had to try and be as subtle as possible. 

The two of them headed into the building, already slipping into their everyday routine of taking a shower, followed by dressing and heading home. 

"You know, Rei-chan," Nagisa said as they stepped under their separate showers. "It's kinda funny watching you try to do the other strokes." 

Rei raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the blush that stained his cheeks as he replied indignantly, "What do you mean? How is my failure funny?" 

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I've never seen anything like it before." 

Rei frowned and ruffled his damp hair slightly in agitation. He still didn't have his glasses on, and therefore couldn't resort to pushing them up. 

"You're not making me feel any better, Nagisa-kun," He said, trying to take on a scolding tone. It was quite hard, though, given that he was still slightly shaken up from the earlier events of the club.

"Sorry, Rei-chan! You're really good at butterfly, though! Like, really good! Maybe even as good as Rin-chan!" Nagisa's tone remained chirpy, and Rei rolled his eyes playfully, glancing to his right. 

He should not have done that. 

Nagisa was simply washing himself, but in a slightly... Unusual way. His movement were slow, arms sure as they rubbed bubbly soap across the curves of his body. 

Rei gulped, and before he could help himself- 

"Could you please stop doing that?" 

His second mistake of the day. Nagisa's bright magenta eyes glanced up from the wall opposite him, and landed on Rei's form, which just happened to be blushing extremely obviously. Rei cursed himself internally, watching as the devious little smirk that he had come to know and hate blossomed out across Nagisa's face. 

"Am I making you distracted, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked innocently, tipping his head to the side. This was one of the things that Rei dreaded with Nagisa. The cute, seemingly pure comments he would make, that would be accompanied with the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"N-No..." Rei stuttered, instinctively reaching up to adjust his glasses, only to realise with frustration that they weren't there again. Nagisa, meanwhile, was slowly stepping closer, his head angled up slightly so that his gaze could effortlessly remain on Rei's face. 

This was not what Rei had planned. It should be him in Nagisa's position. He was supposed to be the one backing Nagisa into a corner, assertive eyes searching for any signs of flusterdness or attraction. 

He had to stop this. 

Without hesitation, Rei reached out and grabbed Nagisa firmly by the shoulders, keeping the smaller boy held firmly in place. Nagisa paused, the sly look in his eyes disappearing to be replaced by an almost-disappointed frown. 

"Ehh, Rei-chan! You're no fun!" 

Rei didn't reply. He was taking the moment to study Nagisa's face, the way his eyes had lost a little sparkle, and the way his lips were downturned slightly. Why was Nagisa so put-down that their little playful scene hadn't developed into something more? Could it possibly be because... Nagisa felt the same way?

There was only one way to find out. 

Rei had completely given up on his stable plan from earlier. It had fallen apart from the moment he'd seen Nagisa washing himself like that under the downpour of shower water. And, so, Rei decided to pull one final wildcard. It was a gamble, but he had faith in himself. Hopfully his instincts weren't wrong. 

Without another thought, for he had had well-over enough of those for one day, Rei pressed his lips against Nagisa's. It was a slightly awkward kiss, and Rei chose to blame that on his lack-of-glasses, but it was a kiss all the same. A kiss that he'd been wanting to have for so long. Feeling Nagisa's tense, almost trembling body beneath him, Rei stroked Nagisa's shoulders stoftly with the hands that still grasped him there. He was extremely glad that the showers were still on, as his heart was beating so fast it would easily have been audible without the pitter-patter of water covering it up.

The kiss was over almost as quickly as it had started, and the two of them were left in a silence. Rei ignored the butterflies in his chest and turned back to his shower, adding some soap to his hair. Blood was still rushing in his ears, and he was certain that his heartbeat wouldn't be calming down anytime soon. 

So much for being subtle. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Rei could see that Nagisa still hadn't moved a muscle, despite Rei's firm hands now being lifted from his small shoulders. He seemed to be completely frozen, whether it was shock or something else, Rei wasn't sure. 

To be honest, Rei was quite proud of himself for being able to regain his composure so quickly. If he had woken up that morning knowing what would occur in the changing rooms after the swim meet, there was a chance that he wouldn't even have gotten out of bed. But, he had managed to carry out his plan, even if it went slightly off-track. And, not only that, he was almost certain that Nagisa returned his feelings. 

Unable to keep the smirk from his face, Rei turned slightly to glance back at Nagisa, who still hadn't moved from his earlier position. 

"What is it, Nagisa-kun? Am I distracting you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Anyway, feel free to comment down below if you have a request you’d like me to write :) It can be any ship you want, any genre, but just... NO SMUT.


	2. Anonymous Kisses {Rin,Sousuke,Kisumi,Natsuya}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is a little fluffy scene in which Rin, Sousuke, Natsuya and Kisume are roommates, but there's a little tension there too if you know what I mean ;) Anyway, sorry if anyone's a little OOC here, I've never written any of these guys before in fanfic, and I don't feel like I know Natsuya that well, but I'll do my best! :D And, feel free to comment if you have a request :)

"Guess who just got us some cider and vodka for tonight!" Kisumi's shout rang out through the apartment, causing Rin to glance up from his aimless web-browsing. Natsuya seemed to perk up slightly at the mention of alcohol, while Sousuke turned his head to watch as Kisumi entered the room. Sure enough, the pink-haired male had two full bottles of liquid in his hands, and a glint of mischief shining in his purple eyes.

Rin straightened up from his slouch on the sofa and watched with amusement as Kisumi placed the bottles on the table, standing up with a proud look on his face. 

"We were kind of wondering why you were late," Sousuke said. "The apartment was relaxingly quiet." 

"Aw, Sousuke don't be mean! Especially after I went out of my way to get these for you guys!" Kisumi whined, pouting in a playful way. 

"I don't even get drunk." 

"Everyone gets drunk, Sousuke," Natsuya joined the conversation, leaning forward a little to inspect the labels. "It just depends on how little or how much it takes." 

Rin grinned at Natsuya's words, turning off his phone completely and placing it on the armrest beside him. If they really were going to do this, and get drunk, he already had a pretty good idea of how the night would turn out. Kisumi would probably be the first to become completely wasted, as, judging by the bright and eager look in his eyes, he had never been ferociously drunk before, and therefore hadn't had to endure the torturous grip of a hangover. And, although Natsuya did enjoy drinking, Rin doubted he would last that long, along with Rin himself. And, of course, that would leave Sousuke.

"OK, no. I can already tell what you're thinking, Kisumi, and the answer is no. You guys are all just gonna get completely drunk, and I'm gonna be the one having to carry your wasted asses to bed," Sousuke said suddenly, almost as if reading Rin's mind. 

"What? No!" Kisumi groaned, eyes pleading. "It would be a waste of money!"

"And alcohol," Natsuya added. "This stuff is good, we can't just chuck it out now." 

"I'm not saying that we chuck it out!" Sousuke exclaimed, sounding fed-up. "We can still drink it, obviously, but just not swig it all in one go!" 

"Why not? Are you scared, Sou?" Rin asked, grinning as his best friend stiffened slightly under the accusation. If there was one thing Rin knew about Sousuke, it was that the other never backed away from a challenge. Neither did Rin, actually, which was one of the many reasons why they were so close in the first place. 

"For god's sake, fine!" The dark-haired male exclaimed, rubbing his temple as if already sensing the mess they would all be in by the end of night. "Just don't blame me when you wake up feeling like crap tomorrow."

"Yes!" Kisumi exclaimed, bounding into the kitchen to fetch some glasses and juice to go with the vodka. Rin couldn't help but be reminded slightly of Nagisa at his contagious excitement. Natsuya proceeded to open the bottles, and began pouring the drinks once Kisume had returned. 

Once handed his glass, Rin took a quick sip, savouring the sweet taste of cider as it flooded his mouth. 

"Alright, we need to do something. Like... Truth or dare?" Kisumi suggested, his eyes never losing their joyous glint.

"Seriously? Truth or dare? What are we, twelve?" Sousuke grumbled in return, wiping his mouth. 

"I think truth or dare could be pretty fun," Rin said, leaning back into the couch a little with his glass in hand. "Who cares if we're being kiddish? Might as well do it while we drunk so we have a good excuse, right?" 

It was actually quite a bad idea to play truth or dare when alcohol was involved, but no one really had any qualms about that.

Sousuke seemed to accept his defeat, sighing and also leaning back into the couch beside Rin. Natsuya was positioned on a chair to their right, while Kisumi had sat himself down on the floor in front of the table containing the drinks, seeming to have labelled himself in charge of the alcohol for the night. Rin wasn't too sure about this idea, but he didn't care enough to do anything about it. 

"Right, Kisumi, truth or dare? Since you're so desperate to do this game, you might as well start," Natsuya said, already reaching forward to pour himself some more cider.

Kisumi beamed, and eagerly answered, "Truth." 

"Tch, boring," Rin muttered under his breath, causing Sousuke to let out a little chuckle beside him. Rin couldn't help but smile a little at this, getting any laugh out of Sousuke was usually quite a hard thing to do. Maybe Sousuke would turn out to be a giggly drunk, and give them all three of them something to remember. But, then again, that was only wishful thinking. 

"Alright... Who's the easiest person to live with, out of all of us? And you're not allowed to say yourself."

Kisumi's eyes narrowed as he looked at Natsuya, causing the other to shuffle slightly under the calculating glare. "Well... You're not here half the time, and I don't really have a clue where you are at those time." 

Natsuya made to complain, but stopped halfway through, seeming to realise that what his friend said was correct. Meanwhile, Kisumi's gaze travelled to Rin, who also felt himself heating up as the indigo orbs seemed to cut into the very depths of his soul. 

"Mm. Rin cries to much." 

"What?!?" Rin cried indignantly, nearly spilling his drink. Natsuya let out a laugh while Kisumi shrugged dismissively, and Sousuke just Rin gave a 'you know it's true' look.

Feeling slightly attacked, Rin crossed his arms and angled his head to the side in disdain. 

"I don't cry," He hissed, although he could already feel the unwelcome tears of anger welling in the corner of his eyes. 

"I would have to say Sousuke…" Kisumi said, fortunately directing the attention from Rin to the dark-haired male whose permanent scowl seemed to deepen a little at Kisumi's words. "Yes, he can be a moody jerk sometimes, but he's also the cleanest. Thinking practically, that makes him the easiest to live with. It's almost like having my very own butler, because he cleans up the mess I leave behind!" 

"Gee, thanks," Sousuke replied sarcastically, though his eyes betrayed a slight fondness. "I'm not sure whether to be offended or complimented.”

"You never know with Kisumi," Natsuya said, waving his glance around hazardously as if toasting to that fact. 

“Huh?!?”

"Rin, truth or dare?" Sousuke asked, interrupting before Natsuya and Kisumi could break into some of their usual good-natured banter. 

Rin thought for a moment, trying to tell what Sousuke was thinking by studying the other's expression. Unfortunately, Sousuke seemed to have a glint in his eyes that told Rin he would be in trouble either way. In the end, he decided to go with a dare, as he had quietly scolded Kisumi for being 'boring' for picking a truth earlier, and the last thing Rin wanted to be was a hypocrite. And boring, which was what a truth was. 

"Dare." 

"I dare you to call Gou, and confess to her that you're gay," Sousuke said promptly, while handing his glass to Kisumi for a refill. Rin groaned loudly, while Kisumi and Natsuya both laughed loudly to remind Rin of the mess he was about to get himself into. 

Slowly, and very reluctantly, Rin picked up his phone from the armrest and scrolled to his sister's contact. As the phone dialling tone rang out, Rin made sure to sneak a very obvious glare at his best friend, who was reclining leisurely on the couch beside him, meeting the glare with an infuriatingly amused expression.

"Onii-san! You haven't called in so long! It's kind of late, too... What's up?" Gou asked from the other end of the line, her cheerful voice filling Rin's ear. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound of his sister's happy tone, but the grin was soon erased from his face when he remembered what he had to do. 

"Truthfully, Gou, there's something I've been meaning to tell you..." Rin paused for a second and let out a deep sigh for effect. He may not enjoy what he was doing, but he was going to go full out with his dare, no matter what. 

"Oh? What is it?" 

"I'm... I'm gay." 

Rin bit his lip, flinching a little as his sharp teeth dug into the flesh, but he had a feeling that this pain was nothing compared to what he was about to feel. He wasn't even afraid that Gou wouldn't accept him. In fact, it was the complete opposite.

"Oh, Onii-san! I had a feeling! Who is it, then?" 

"What do you mean?" Rin asked, despite knowing full well what his younger sibling was getting at. He just wanted to stall for as long as possible before his embarrassment really did reach its breaking point.

"You know! Who are you going out with? Is it Ai-kun? Or... Or is it Sousuke-kun? Come on, you have to tell me!" 

Rin felt his blush reach a colour that could rival that of his hair, as he gritted his teeth and hissed out a reply, "Gou..."

"Hang on, hang on. Have you met someone?!? Oh my gosh, what are they like? Wait, no, more important question, what are their muscles like?" 

By now, Kisumi was rolling around on the carpet while he tried to contain his laughter, and Natsuya had been forced to place his drink on the table since his body was shaking so much from his drunken giggles. Sousuke was also laughing, although he was doing a much better job at concealing it. 

"Gou, I'm gonna have to call you back..." 

"Oh, you better! I want to hear all about this dream guy!"

Not bothering to reply from the fear that his voice would crack from the mounted stress he was currently feeling, Rin hung up and placed the phone back on the armrest, resisting the urge to chuck it at Sousuke's head. 

"I'll... Call her back about it in the morning and tell her it was a dare..." Rin mumbled half-heartedly, lips downturned in a depressed frown. 

"Dude, she's gonna be so heartbroken. Did you hear how excited she was?" Sousuke said, taking a sip from his glass. Rin didn't answer, and instead rubbed his head and took a long drink. 

"Right, then, Sousuke! Truth or dare?" Kisumi asked. Rin could hear a slight slur to his tone, which indicated that his earlier guess of Kisumi being the worst at holding off against alcohol was correct.

"Truth," Sousuke answered simply, causing Rin's frown to deepen. Another boring choice. But, then again, Sousuke hardly ever talked about anything personal, so this might be a good opportunity for some bonding. 

God, Rin really did feel like he was twelve again. 

"Um... Tell us one good thing about each of us, physically or personality-wise," Kisumi said. 

"Damn, that's a good one. I wouldn't have thought Sousuke had the power to give any kind of compliment," Natsuya said, picking his glass up from the table. 

"Shut it, Kirishima. Kisumi… Your hair looks like candyfloss, Rin, you're insanely good at rock-paper-scissors, and Natsuya, your hair looks like chocolate."

"Why does our hair looks like food to you?" Kisumi asked, tilting his head to the side and allowed some locks of pink to fall over his eyes, as if emphasizing his question. Sousuke shrugged, and replied, "I don't know, I'm hungry a lot of the time. And I think the alcohol's starting to take an effect." 

Rin was quite pleased with the answer Sousuke had given, at least on his part. Although Sousuke could've been a little more compassionate, which would've been greatly appreciated, the competitive rock-paper-scissors brawl that the pair had continously used as a deciding method had gradually become an essential part of their lives, and to have Sousuke directly compliment him on his skills in that was quite rewarding. 

"I don't mind that. Chocolate's cool," Natsuya said, his words also slightly slurred. Then again, he had been drinking around double of what everyone else had been consuming.

"Natsuya, truth or dare?" Rin decided to ask, as he hadn't had the privilege of giving anything to anyone yet. Natsuya's brown eyes took on a thoughtful look (at least, as thoughtful as he could in his drunken state) and he replied with, "Dare." 

"Right... I dare you to drink three shots of vodka, within ten seconds," Rin said. They still had a decent amount of drink left, and he was determined to get it finished tonight. Besides, Natsuya loved his alcohol, it wouldn't even be that hard for him. 

"Sure, I'd be happy to do that." 

"I'll get the shot glasses!" Kisumi called, getting to his feet a little wobbly. 

Seeming to sense this, Sousuke rose instead. "It's fine, I'll do it. You're so drunk you'll probably end up falling over or something on the way." 

"Aw, Sousuke cares about me!" Kisumi announced proudly, earning a prompt middle finger from Sousuke, who was retreating into the kitchen.

Sousuke returned with three little shot glasses in his hands, and passed them over to Natsuya, who had already picked up the bottle of vodka. It actually seemed that he was eager to do this dare, which was pretty amusing.

Despite already being drunk, the steadiness of Natsuya's hands was quite impressive, and he managed to pour himself the three glasses without even spilling a drop. Then again, he may have just not wanted to waste it. 

Without even waiting to be prompted, he began drinking. Kisumi was immediately clapping away, and Rin couldn't help but give a few cheers as Natsuya downed all three glasses with ease, his brown eyes shining with adrenaline.

"God, you're all so loud," Sousuke grumbled as their whooping died down. Natsuya placed the last glass on the table and sat back, a triumphant look in his eyes as Sousuke rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're giving me a headache." 

"You sure that isn't just the alcohol, Sou? You might be getting drunk," Rin said, grinning as his best friend showed him the middle finger that had been raised at Kisumi just moments before.

"Truth or dare, Rin?" Sousuke asked, his teal eyes giving a mischievous flash. It then occurred to Rin that Sousuke had actually been looking a little bored before. This was a bad thing, as the dark-haired male would almost definitely try to spice the game up a little. 

Wanting to preserve the little pride he had left, Rin surveyed his options. A dare would probably be the worst idea, as Sousuke would undoubtedly go back to the Gou idea from earlier. So, in that case, it would have to be a truth for this turn. 

"Truth." 

"Boring," Sousuke muttered under his breath, imitating Rin from earlier. "Who would you rather kiss out of us three?" 

Rin raised an eyebrow at the question, but decided not to question it. For some reason, every truth or dare that night had been targeting his sexuality. 

"Well, I don't know, cause I haven't actually kissed any of you. But whoever's the best at it, I guess," Rin shrugged, cursing himself for the heat rushing to his cheeks. Hopefully the others would pass it off as a side effect of his drunkenness.

"Then I dare you to kiss us all blindfolded, and then say who was better," Kisumi said from his position on the floor. 

"I didn't even ask for anything..." Rin groaned, although he already knew that he would agree to the dare. After being given a challenge, he could never back away from it. 

Sousuke, seeming to already know this, rose and headed to his bedroom, returning seconds later with a tie. Rin was already beginning to get nervous, and the feeling of the soft fabric wrapping around his eyes to remove his sight only made the apprehension worse. 

But he wouldn't back out.

The sound of Kisumi's stifled giggles rang in Rin's ears as the first person leaned in for a kiss. This immediately told Rin that whoever's lips were against his now didn't belong to Kisumi, so that gave him a little clue of who it could be. 

The kiss was soft, and surprisingly gentle, something Rin didn't expect from either Sousuke or Natsuya. It was full of soft touches, little nips on his bottom lip, and although it was extremely pleasant Rin couldn't help but wonder if the person was going to muster the courage to take it a little further. 

They didn't, and Rin was left to try and recover from the incredibly cute kiss that had just been gifted to him. Unfortunately, the other guys didn't seem to want to give him a break. 

The next kiss was extremely different from the first. It was uncontrollable, sloppy, exactly what Rin would expect from a new-drinker consuming far too much. This was Kisumi, no doubt about it.

The person pulled away. Rin could still taste the aftermath of alcohol, as he tried to prepare himself for the final kiss. Hopefully it would give some indication as to whether it was Natsuya or Sousuke, since the first one was quite unexpected for both of them. 

The last kiss was unlike two earlier ones, but not unpleasant. Not in the slightest. It had the passion and wildness of Kisumi's, but was also controlled. The person even ran a hand through Rin's hair, and Rin was dimly aware of how sure the hands were in that place. 

After the kiss had finished, Rin fumbled with the tie which was loosely wrapped around his head. Blinking his eyes wearily, he glanced at the three guys in from of him, trying to read their expressions. All of them were blushing furiously, but it was hard to tell whether that was from the alcohol or the kisses, and Rin knew that there was a similar shade of red painting his own cheeks.

"Oh, jeez, uh..." Rin fumbled with his words as his friends watched him expectantly, waiting for his answer. 

"Take a guess at who each one was, too!" Kisumi said eagerly. Rin's eyes flickered between Natsuya and Sousuke, but both refused to let out any indication of which had been which. 

"I guess... Erm… They were all pretty good, but probably the last one... Like, heck, that was good," Rin paused, wondering if his revelation would reveal anything on the faces of the other two. "Was that.... Was that you, Sou?" 

At this, Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck furiously, his face becoming even more flustered. Rin was about to grin in victory, taking Sousuke's embarrassment as confirmation, but was interrupted by Kisumi's shout. 

"Nope!" 

"Well, who was-?" Rin stopped his accusation, and dragged his eyes away from his best friend, instead looking at Natsuya. He should've known it. The sure, confident hand running through his hair. Sousuke may not seem like the nervous type, but Rin knew how embarrassed he could get, hence the more timid feel about the first kiss. And, there was the undeniable fact that Sousuke's hands were trembling slightly. 

"That... THAT WAS NATSUYA?!?"

All he got in return was a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, actually really enjoyed writing this! I hope it was alright X3 Anyway, leave comments if you've got requests :)


	3. The Changing Rooms {Reigisa}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by monzy on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I received two separate Reigisa requests via the Free! Amino, and decided to compact them into a single oneshot. The other one was a request of a sequel to my first Reigisa oneshot 'Distractions', so that's what I've decided to do with this. However, it could be read as a single. If you didn't read the first, a quick little summary of what happened in that one is that the two dorks shared a kiss in the changing rooms, but their relationship isn't completely confirmed yet :3
> 
> Also, there is some slight Makoharu in this, but the main focus is Reigisa ;)

No matter how long Rei spent thinking about it, he could never seem to predict what would happen later on that day in the changing rooms. 

After the kiss he had shared with Nagisa the day before, it was highly unlikely that their relationship wouldn't change, whether it was for better or for worse. At the time, kissing Nagisa had been the most logical thing to do, but it had been a gamble, and now Rei was unsure of its effect.

It would probably be best to lay low, to allow Nagisa to make whatever move he wished. 

And so, Rei decided to create an almost identical situation to yesterday's. He left the meet slightly early, breathing a quiet sigh of relief as Makoto and Haruka stayed out in the pool area, and made his way into the changing rooms. The showers were deserted, of course. Rei took his usual position underneath one of the shower-heads and began rinsing his hair of the chlorine that still lingered there. 

He'd been careful when making his leave, wanting to be subtle enough so that his departure went mostly unnoticed, but he also wanted Nagisa to see. Not that it would be too hard, as Rei had been feeling the magenta eyes on his form for almost the entire session, which gave the impression that Nagisa was just as eager to talk as Rei was. 

Sure enough, the sound of bare feet padding on tile reached Rei's ears, despite the constant stream of shower water. Rei kept his back turned from the doorway, not wanting to give any of his feelings away just yet. It was up to Nagisa to make the first move. 

He did not expect the arms that wrapped around his waist, and the soft tickling of hair under his chin as Nagisa's head went to rest on his shoulder. Rei couldn't seem to make himself move, despite the fast-paced thoughts whirring around in his brain, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him as Nagisa pulled away. He should've made more of an effort to make the blonde feel welcomed, appreciated. What if Nagisa had been testing Rei himself, and Rei had failed? 

"Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked hesitantly, stepping into the shower next to Rei. That was a good sign, Nagisa wasn't retreating too far. 

Realising that Nagisa was expecting some sort of answer, Rei hummed lightly in acknowledgement, not quite trusting himself to form any proper words. His whole body felt like it wasn't functioning properly. Curse himself for planning in such detail, only to mess it up later, and curse Nagisa for having such an effect on him. 

"Are we... Boyfriends now?" Nagisa said his question quietly, although it was easy to hear, even over the roaring of the shower water.

Rei blinked in surprise, tearing his eyes from the wall opposite for the first time. Instead, he glanced down at Nagisa, trying to decipher something from the other's expression. It was nervous, quite an alien look to see on the boy's face, and sent Rei's mind into overdrive. 

If Nagisa was afraid of asking his question, that meant he wanted a certain answer, but whether it was a 'yes' or a 'no,' Rei wasn't sure. He could be apprehensive because their relationship meant as much to him as it did to Rei, or he may just want Rei to decline so things could go back to how they were before, with less awkwardness. 

Was Nagisa asking Rei what he wanted, or was he asking for an honest answer, of how things truly were? Again, Rei wasn't sure, but he had a pretty good feeling that it was the first. In which case... Nagisa wouldn't want to be lied to. Rei knew this much. 

He also knew that despite the comfort it gave him, over-thinking wasn't helpful, and it wouldn't do anything good in the long run. Of course, it was also bad to run into situations head on, but spiralling out of control as he was at the moment certainly wasn't helping. 

"I wouldn't mind that..." Rei answered slowly, choosing his words carefully. This time it was Nagisa's turn to glance away from the wall, as his bright eyes stared up at Rei, such a pure joy shining in them that all of the regret Rei held vanished in an instant. 

Why was he worrying? This was Nagisa he was talking about. Nagisa would never hurt Rei, and Rei would never hurt Nagisa. 

However, the feeling of comfort vanished as a familiar look filled the smaller boy's face. It was quite amazing how his expression could range from the embarrassed, shy one from earlier to the sly smirk that painted his features now. 

"So, does that mean we can kiss again?" Even his tone was full of mischief. Rei stared down in disapproval, despite his eagerness to do what Nagisa had just requested, he despised the expectant look on the other's face. It was as if Nagisa knew how flustered Rei could get, and he also knew exactly how to get such a reaction from him.

But, Rei didn't plan to let himself lose the battle so easily. 

"Hm, I suppose. Only if you can reach, of course," He added, twisting his lips up into a grin that he hoped would rival Nagisa's. 

All emotion drained from Nagisa's face as he processed Rei's insult, and he glared with a force that could match Haruka's stares. Rei suddenly felt very nervous, and that fear just increased as Nagisa began to close the space between them. 

\--------------------

"I think it's time to go, Haru-chan," Makoto said gently, bending down slightly to offer his hand to his friend. Haru had finally come to a stop at the side of the pool, having shaken his head to clear the water droplets that still lingered there. 

"Drop the 'chan,'" Haru said evenly, taking Makoto's outstretched hand and pulling himself out of the water. Makoto couldn't help but focus on how perfectly Haru's fingers intertwined with his, after the numerous times the pair had shared touches like these. 

Laughing at Haru's stubbornness (and silently cursing himself for his undeniable crush he had developed,) Makoto pulled his hand away gently and turned towards the changing rooms. 

The two made their way towards the building quietly, the silence a comfort as both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Makoto couldn't guess what Haru was thinking about, not without looking at him, and that certainly wasn't a good idea at that moment. If he did happen to glance over, Makoto wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself, the urge to lean down and brush his lips against Haru's becoming too much. 

They entered the changing rooms, Makoto desperately trying to rid his brain of the flustering thoughts. And, whether it was lucky or not, he recieved a distratction. 

Rei and Nagisa were in the middle of what seemed to be a very passionate kiss, Rei hands already entangled in Nagisa's blond locks, bright red colour staining both of their cheeks. 

Before Makoto could say anything, Haru nudged him lightly to get his attention. Tearing his eyes away from the sight of his teammates, who somehow hadn't managed to notice that they were no longer alone, Makoto fixed his gaze on Haru, terrified that his obvious blush would succeed to embarrass him even further. 

Fortunately, Haru seemed to shrug Makoto's flusterdness off as a side-effect of walking in on Rei and Nagisa, as his face remained perfectly calm. 

'We should go,' His eyes seemed to say, and Makoto nodded in a silent agreement. 

And so, the two headed back out to the pool, deciding it was best to leave Rei and Nagisa on their own for a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this is quite a short one... Oh well! Anyway, leave a comment if there's a request you have that you'd like me to write :)


	4. The Maze {Sourin}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so here's a fluffy SouRin :3 Nothing else to say XD

Sousuke didn't know how he had allowed himself to get dragged into this situation.

It was probably a mix of a few things, which included: Rin's bribing, Rin's whining, Rin's blackmail and Rin's infuriating skill at rock-paper-scissors. Sousuke seemed to lose every game, and he was even beginning to wonder whether Rin had some sort of cheat for it. 

In any case, Sousuke wasn't happy. He was currently being dragged around a cheap Halloween festival that was far too busy for his taste, stopping by nearly every stall in sight so that Rin could get a good look at the items. He usually wouldn't mind being in a place like this, as spending any time with his best friend was very enjoyable, but he preferred those times to be just the two of them. 

His ideal take on the night would have been that they stayed in, possibly watched some scary movies, Sousuke would tease Rin when he cried at the endings, and they would fall asleep on the couch, surrounded by left-over popcorn and empty cans of energy drinks.

Unfortunately, Rin seemed to be in a festive mood, and Sousuke already knew that he would lose most, if not all, of their battles, so he gave in after a pathetic five minutes of Rin's pestering. 

And so, there they were, surrounded by crowds of people dressed in cheesy costumes and stalls with over-priced items. There was also the presence of the typical festival set-ups that would last for a few days, like a mini rollercoaster, some sort of palm-reading tent, and a maze. The thing that grasped Sousuke's attention the most was the maze, as he could hear some significantly loud screams ringing out from the inside. It seemed to be playing the part of the overly-used Haunted House that normally would pop up at every Halloween themed festival. 

Overall, the actual place wasn't too bad. It was obvious that a lot of effort had been put into its creation, but this meant that it was exceedingly popular. Which was irritating. Sousuke could barely hear himself think. 

And, to make matters worse, Rin was being an absolute jerk.

"You know, Sousuke, I didn't realise that this place would be so large." 

"What are you getting at, Rin?" 

"Well, there are a lot of people, too. So, I'm just saying, don't be embarrassed if you wanna... I dunno, hold my hand or something?" 

"And why would I want to do that?" Sousuke asked flatly, although he already knew where Rin was heading with the conversation. 

"You know, because we might get separated by the crowd. And then you'd get lost. And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Rin said, the teasing tone coming across so strongly that Sousuke had to resist the urge to shove Rin into a nearby food-stall. 

"Rin. I know that I may have had a bad sense of direction before, but I think I've gotten better. I didn't get lost, at all, when I first started at Samezuka-" 

"Yes, but that was because you were in my class, and I literally showed you around," Rin cut Sousuke off, his lips curling into a mischievous smile as Sousuke felt his face light up indignantly. First of all, Rin had ruined Sousuke's idea of having a perfectly quiet night for the two of them by dragging him out to this goddamn festival, and now the red-head even had the nerve to tease Sousuke about one of his flaws. 

Not fair. 

"Rin, are you sure that you're not just using my... Admittedly faulty sense of direction for you own purpose?" Sousuke asked evenly, already feeling a plan form. 

"What do you mean by that?" Rin's smile wavered, being replaced by a midly suspicious frown. 

"You just seemed pretty eager to hold my hand, is all." 

Rin's eyes widened as he realised what Sousuke meant, as he indignantly turned his head to the side. Sousuke knew he would be blushing, as any reference to romance made Rin adorably flustered, even if he did enjoy it. 

"Sh-Shut up." 

Sousuke laughed quietly under his breath, turning to gaze back in front of him. They were approaching what seemed to be the main food area, with an assortment of stalls, and even some benches lined up to the side for seating. Sousuke noticed that the maze was now in sight, and he couldn't help but hope that they'd spend a bit of time in one of the pop-up activity places, whether it was the rollercoaster or the maze, just to escape the constant chatter of the people around them, if only for a moment. 

"Hey, should I go get some drinks? The air's stuffy so it's making me thirsty," Rin said, almost seeming to voice Sousuke's thoughts as he pointed to a nearby stall. The darker-haired male nodded, glancing at the stall the Rin was gesturing to. It seemed like a pretty average place, with drinks and a variety of sweet treats lined up behind a glass panel.

"I'll stay here and keep a bench saved," Sousuke offered, causing Rin to glance at the picnic-style benches that had been set up. 

"Sure, sounds good. What do you want to drink?" 

"Coke." 

"Thought so. Alright, I'll be right back. Don't get lost on your way to the benches!" Rin called over his shoulder as he made his way to the stall, hands stuffed in pockets. Sousuke rolled his eyes, not being bothered to make a heated reply, and instead set down at one of the vacant tables. 

His sullen atmosphere seemed to be keeping people away, as he did look quite intimidating when he was in a bad mood. That was the good thing about being tall, if he wanted to keep people away, all he had to do was put on a threatening face. However, at this moment, that action wasn't proving hard. 

He couldn't believe how annoying Rin was being. He had tried to make him flustered to quell the teasing comments, but it hadn't seemed to work. And, judging by the sugariness of the drinks on sale at the stall, Rin was just going to get hyper and be even more irritating. Sousuke did not like dealing with a hyper Rin, at least, not in public. It was embarrassing, and extremely tiring. 

As he waited (since the queue for drinks was quite long) Sousuke tried entertaining himself by glancing around at the surroundings. He was beginning to take in the stalls a little more, as when he and Rin had been wondering around them before, his sour mood had put a stopper in him really paying attention to them. Most of them were similar and predictable, selling things like glowsticks, cliche masks, and other small over-priced accessories.

For some reason, Sousuke's eyes kept trailing back to the maze. It was quite distracting, with the atmospheric music that played out via the speakers positioned around it, and the large sign with well-drawn decorations. There didn't seem to be too many people inside, which was something that immediately drew Sousuke's attention. He was almost developing a headache from the constant chatter, and the thought of the quiet, eerie passages in the maze was just too much to resist. 

Besides, it would give Sousuke a chance to show Rin that he was recovering from his case of being hopeless at directions. 

Quickly taking his phone out of his pocket, Sousuke typed a message to Rin letting his friend know of his whereabouts, and headed into the maze. 

The first thing that greeted Sousuke when he arrived inside was the refreshing coolness of the air, courtesy of the fog-machines that were continuously feeding mist to cover the ground. Sousuke internally rolled his eyes, as the little devices were clearly visible under the plastic inner-walls of the maze. 

The people he heard screaming earlier were probably just drunk out of their minds.

Sousuke began making his way around, paying little attention to the decorations, sound effects and people dressed in costumes. He had never been affected too badly by scary things, and even jump-scares failed to startle him.

Eventually, though, he realised that he should probably try to remember some certain details, just so he didn't end up going around in circles. 

Taking note of the small gravestone that sat to the edge of the path, Sousuke continued, passing a fake corpse. There was also a person lingering in the shadows, dressed in a pretty convincing zombie costume. He continued, beginning to watch carefully where he stepped, as there was also a decent amount of litter beginning to coat the ground, and he didn't really fancy stepping in any abandoned food. 

He also passed some people on his way, most of them consisting of couples, or large friend groups. There was a significant lack of young children, probably because it was beginning to get quite late, and also because of the gore warnings that he payed little attention to at the beginning of the maze. 

Sousuke was beginning to feel confident as he chose route after route, never running into a dead end. He was quite proud of himself, really, and couldn't wait to brag about it to Rin later. His coke would be his reward. However, a slight problem occurred.

The walls surrounding him were almost completely pitch-black, for effect, and probably to trick some people to walk right into them. Sousuke himself had to squint a little bit to make them out, especially as the last traces of sunlight left the sky, to be replaced by the moon. 

Unfortunately, luck didn't seem to be on his side, as thick wisps of cloud began covering the moon, blocking out the little light that had been supplied in the first place. It didn't take long for Sousuke to crash into the first wall, and it was then that he decided a slight cheat was required. 

Taking out his phone, he switched on the flashlight, welcoming the sudden glare of the bright white light. He directed it upwards slightly...

Just to be met with the gnarled, mutilated face of a zombie. 

"Jesus Christ!" Sousuke couldn't help the shout that left his lips as he bounded backwards, phone falling out of his hand at the sudden shock. There was the sound of groaning, and Sousuke shuffled backwards slightly to get out of the way of the zombie. 

Only to sit right on another body. 

Jumping as if he had been shocked, Sousuke more or less flew to the other side of the wall, his heart beating so furiously that he was surprised the actor couldn't hear it. He curled himself into a tighter ball, despite scolding himself for being stupid, he didn't want the zombie to find him. It was completely pitch black, so hopefully he couldn't be seen in the little corner he had managed to find for himself. It wasn't a good hiding place, but there really wasn't anything better in a maze like that. 

Fortunately, the shuffling footsteps began retreating, and Sousuke let out a shaky sigh of relief. He was safe.

As the fear began to evaporate from his mind, Sousuke realised something that made his heart sink. A zombie actor. A body on the ground. 

"No, no no no no no," He groaned, although he already knew what he would find when he grasped his phone with trembling fingers and cast its light upon the pathway. 

The familiar grave confirmed his suspicions, and Sousuke flopped back, leaning against the unsteady wall of the maze as he sighed in defeat. 

He was right back where he began. 

Just as he was about to sink into a pit of his own misery, his phone vibrated. Slowly, pouring his disbondent emotion into his actions, Sousuke raised the screen up to his face so he could see. 

'Seven unread messages from Rin.' 

Already knowing what would be awaiting him, Sousuke opened his messages. 

Rin: 'Sousuke r u srs.' 

Rin: 'Omg where actually r u i thought you were kidding' 

Rin: 'Sou' 

Rin: 'Dude look at your phone' 

Rin: 'i swear to god.' 

Rin: 'come on'

Rin: 'if u dont look at ur phone right now i'll give haru ur number.'

After reading the most recent message, Sousuke sprung into action, hurriedly typing a reply. 

Sousuke: 'Rin, don't you dare. You know how much I hate that guy.' 

The message showed as being read immediately, and Sousuke prepared himself for a scolding as the three dots appeared, signifying Rin's reply.

Rin: 'Yeah, that's exactly why I threatened that. But don't worry, I didn't. Anyway, where are you?" 

Sousuke paused, glancing around. 

Sousuke: 'So, I'm in the maze. There's a zombie dude nearby, a corpse, and a gravestone.' 

Rin: 'OK, but how do I get there?' 

Again, Sousuke paused, cursing himself as he realised his mistake. He had been so eager to get to the centre of the maze that he had just gone in without thinking, taking whichever route his mind suggested, not paying any attention on his actual direction. He rubbed his face with a tired hand, and only looked down when another message came in from Rin.

Rin: 'You're lost, aren't you.' 

Sousuke: 'yes.' 

Rin: 'omg. fine, let me just scout the whole maze until i find you' 

Sousuke could tell that his best friend was mad by the lack of punctuation, and he stood shakily to his feet. He wasn't going to try and make his way out by himself, because he already had a good idea of how that would turn out, so instead he decided to begin pacing, careful not to step on the model corpse at the side.

Of course, as soon as he began pacing, he crashed into another living, breathing human being.

Letting out a string of colourful curses, Sousuke brought his phone up to get a good view of the person. 

Naturally, because of the blinding light, they had shielded their face, but Sousuke could still make out the red hair, and the unopened bottle of coke the person was carrying. 

"Rin?" 

"Jesus, Sou. You really are hopeless at directions, aren't you?" 

Sousuke lowered the brightness on his phone's torch, and shot Rin a quizzical look, trying to hid his overwhelming relief (and embarrassment) at being found.

Rin didn't reply, and instead gestured behind him. Sousuke glanced over Rin's shoulder, then his face fell as he saw a large sign just a small distance away.

He'd be that close to the exit that entire time?

As if to answer his question, Rin began heading in that direction. "Come on, big guy, let's go. Here's your coke, by the way." 

Sousuke followed behind, sullenly sipping at his coke as they exited the maze. 

After that ordeal, he vowed never to leave Rin's side in public again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oki, that’s it, hope it was alright :3 mehhh the ending was a little rushed. As always, feel free to leave a request if you have one ^-^


	5. The Challenge {Kisurin}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, the summer holidays officially end for me tomorrow ;-; That means that updates will be slowing down a little, but I'll try to get at least one thing out every week :3 
> 
> Anyway, this is a fluffy KisuRin oneshot. There's also quite a lot of Sousuke involved, but only for plot purposes, the romantic part is focusing on Kisumi and Rin ^-^
> 
> As always, comment if you have a request~!

One of Rin's favourite things about his friendship with Sousuke would be the playful challenges the two would come up with. 

When they were younger, these challenges would be innocent, pure and harmless. They tended to involve races, eating, gaming, things along those lines. However, as the boys continued to create and carry out different bets, gradually the themes would stop involving play, and begin involving romance. There was never anything too drastic, but it was enough to cause embarrassment. 

That's why, when Sousuke first proposed the 'Kisumi Challenge,' Rin thought that it should be fairly easy to win. Sousuke had announced that whoever could succeed in making Kisumi blush first would be given five-thousand yen by the loser. 

Of course, there were requirements. Just making Kisumi red in the face wouldn't work, as it was simple enough to exercise him until he was out-of-breath. He had to be blushing because he was flustered, and that was an emotion Rin had never seen Kisumi wear. Maybe this challenge would be slightly harder than he had originally thought...

Either way, Rin wasn't prepared to go down without a fight. Generally, in their challenges, they were pretty evenly-matched. Rin would be the best at anything to do with eating, or just disgusting things on a whole, whereas Sousuke would generally be better at the more romantic ones, due to Rin's capability of dying from embarrassment within a minute of a suggestive conversation. 

That was probably why Rin was so determined to win the Kisumi Challenge. 

Rin had never been good at controlling his facial expressions. He couldn't keep a straight-face like Haru always could, and couldn't maintain a continuous smile like Makoto. To make matters worse, he had always been reduced to tears at any remotely angsty moment, and would blush whenever he read too much into a compliment.

And so, after Rin had scheduled a harmless visit to Kisumi's house, he spent the night before staring at himself in the mirror and practicing pick-up lines, trying to keep a confident expression as he did so. Unfortunately, every time, an infuriating redness would seep into his cheeks, and he would end up having to give himself a few minutes before he calmed down enough to practice another flirt. 

It was only when Gou eventually showed up and dragged him to his bedroom that Rin realised he wasn't getting anywhere with that method. Not only would Kisumi laugh at Rin's pathetic attempts to flirt, he would probably just end up giving Rin that annoyingly cute wink before making a teasing comeback. 

And then Rin would blush, subsequently making a complete fool of himself. 

It really was a hopeless situation, and Rin resisted the urge to cry as he sulked within his blanket cocoon of misery. If Rin had any hope of making Kisumi flustered, he would have to pull off something big. Simple words wouldn't do the trick, as Kisumi would either ignore them, or turn them right back at Rin. He had wasted no time in creating the perfect moment, a study-session at Kisumi's house, but was he really prepared? And it didn't help that Rin couldn't go to his usual assist in these kinds of situations, as Sousuke was his opponent in this current situation. 

Haru was always someone Rin would go to for advice, but in romance, Rin couldn't imagine him being much help. Neither would Makoto, the gentle giant was so clueless as to what flirting was, Rin wasn't even sure if he knew the definition. Ai was an option for comfort, but on the advice side, the small gray-haireed boy was even worse in romantic situations than Rin. And, of course, there was Gou. But the thought of asking his little sister for help in something like that was so ghastly that Rin didn't want to linger on that thought for very long. 

It was all up to him, and Rin really didn't have a clue as to what he could do.

\--------------------

"I have to say, Rin, I was pretty surprised when you arranged this study session. We don't even go to the same high school," Kisumi said, placing a glass of water down on the table in front of Rin. 

"Well, maybe I just wanted to see you," Rin replied, trying his best to offer a flirt. It wasn't that he struggled to think of romantic things to say, there were so many cringe-worthy thoughts circling around his brain, he just struggled to speak them out-loud without losing his cool. Usually that was alright, but for some reason Rin just didn't want to embarrass himself like that in front of Kisumi. 

Kisumi laughed light-heartedly at Rin's comment, casually sitting down on his bed. They were currently in Kisumi's bedroom, surrounded by the usual things one would expect in the private area of a teenage boy. This included quite a lot of mess, basketball posters, some scattered exercise books and a little left-over food. Rin realised that his attempt had failed, Kisumi's cheeks still annoyingly colourless. He would just have to work a little harder. 

"Where's Hayato, by the way?" Rin asked, suddenly realising that Kisumi's younger brother was nowhere to be seen. 

"Over at a friend's house," Kisumi answered simply, taking a sip from his own glass of water. Rin tilted his head slightly, evaluating Kisumi's reply. 

Had Kisumi made Hayato go to a friend's just so that the two could be alone? Was Rin reading into this too much? Yes, of course he was. After all, this was just Kisumi. Goofy, hyperactive, annoying, cute, friendly Kisumi. And this was only a challenge, there was no point in Rin getting too lost in his own feelings. All he had to do was complete the task at hand, and then he could completely forget all of those flustering thoughts he was having. 

Ah, but that made him feel bad. It felt as if he was only spending this time with Kisumi to win the bet, whereas, Rin actually really enjoyed Kisumi's company. 

This was all too confusing.

"Oi? Rin?" A hand was suddenly waving around in front of Rin's face. 

He slapped it away hurriedly, mumbling a quiet, "What gives?" 

"You were spacing out, and I asked you a question," Kisumi replied, leaning back slightly. Rin sighed, realising that he had been zoning out, and gave Kisumi an apologetic smile. 

"Sorry. What did you say?" 

"Well, I was just wondering what you wanted to start on," Kisumi said, glancing towards his exercise books that were scattered out across the floor, letting out a quick laugh. "I should probably try and gather those together." 

"I'll help," Rin offered immediately, a new plan forming in his mind. He doubted that any kind of verbal approach would work, so maybe he could try something more physical.

And so, as Kisumi bent down to begin picking up his books, Rin kept a close eye on the other's actions. Just as almost every one was collected in, with only one measly maths textbook left, Rin reached over to grab it, fully aware of Kisumi's hand that was already outstretched. 

It was a small touch, just a little brush of the fingers over the book's hard cover, but enough that Rin felt as though his face was on fire. And, considering that he was in this state, although he himself had planned it, Kisumi couldn't be faring any better. 

However, the book was carefully picked up from the ground, causing Rin's eyes to follow to object, only to be met with the gaze of two purple orbs. The first thing Rin noticed was that Kisumi wasn't blushing. And the second thing that he noticed was the amusement showing through in his expression. 

"Are you alright, Rin? You're looking quite red. Maybe you should have some water, if it's becomming too hot in here." 

Rin gritted his teeth in annoyance, turning his head in a futile attempt to hide his blush. He pushed his glass a little futher away, feeling quite rebellious as he did so, and then turned back to Kisumi.

"I'm fine. Now, let's do some studying." 

And so, all hell broke loose. They began with maths, since that was the most recent book to be picked up. Rin tried as many things as he could, like complimenting Kisumi's intelligence, another brushing fingers scenario as the two of them studied the same equation, and even went to the lengths of ‘accidentally’ grazing his cheek against Kisumi's as they shared a notepad. 

However, none of them seemed to faze him. 

After the failure that was the maths session left Rin in a bad mood, he grumpily excused himself to the bathroom. Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, he realised with annoyance that there was still a bit of red staining his cheeks, despite Kisumi never even making a move on him.

What was happening to make Rin like this? He wasn't good at flirting, but was he really that bad? 

Rin clenched his fists, feeling another flash of competitiveness pulse through his veins. He could just imagine Sousuke's face after finding out about Rin's failed 'date,' and how he would pat Rin on the shoulder in a false act of pity. Maybe he would even add a sarcastic 'well done for trying' fist-bump offer. Either way, Rin knew that Sousuke would be a jerk about it. 

He couldn't let that happen. Sousuke would've already had an idea about what the outcome of this challenge would be for Rin, and probably saw no threat in proposing it. In fact, Sousuke probably thought that he was guranteed a win, and the five-thousand yen prize. 

Just realising that made Rin even more angry than before. Luckily for him, though, anger usually helped to fuel his success.

And so, giving himself one more smirk in the mirror, Rin left the bathroom and re-entered Kisumi's room in full confidence. There was nothing to lose, so he might as well go full out with this. 

"Hey, Kisumi, I'm actually feeling a little tired. Can we just... Take a break from studying for a bit?" Rin requested, sitting back in his place.

"Sure!" Kisumi replied, smiling brightly, "I'm getting kinda tired, too." The pink-haired male took a long sip of his glass of water, completely downing the entire thing. "I'm gonna go and refill, do you want some more?" 

Rin glanced down at his half-empty glass, then looked back up. "Nah, I'm alright." 

"Cool. I’ll Be right back." 

Rin watched as Kisumi left, and then began planning his next move. This entire time Rin had been working to get some sort of reaction from Kisumi by using his own words, his own actions. But, what if he tried to turn the tables, to make Kisumi flustered because of what he was saying himself? 

It was the best Rin could think of, and he was beginning to get pretty desperate. Any new form of idea brought hope, and hope really was what Rin needed in this situation. 

By the time Kisumi returned, Rin had already plotted out a few questions in his head, and wasted no time in asking them. 

"So, Kisumi, I've been wondering..." Rin began, watching as Kisumi turned his head with an intruged look. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend? Um... Well, no, I've never had a girlfriend..." 

"Oh? What about a boyfriend?" Rin leant forwards a little, plastering a sharp grin on his face as Kisumi began to flounder in panic. There still wasn't a blush, but Rin knew that his questions were beginning to get a little too personal for one to answer with a straight-face or confident smirk. 

"Um, R-Rin, are you implying something?" Kisumi shot back, trying to give Rin a smile of his own. However, Rin could see the wavering in Kisumi's lips, and the scared look in his eyes that matched that of a cornered animal. He was trying to turn the tables, use his normal escape strategy by turning the embarrassment on someone else. However, Rin was now in his zone, and he wouldn't come out until he got what he wanted. 

"Come to think of it, what is your sexuality?" 

"That's quite a blunt thing to say, isn't it?" 

"Coming from you, Kisumi. Now, answer the question," Rin kept pushing, gradually leaning closer with each sentence.

Kisumi sighed in defeat, seeming to sense that there was no point in arguing. He glanced up slightly, eyes meeting Rin's as his mouth formed a small pout. 

"I've never really thought about it that much. I just like who I like, it doesn't really matter to me. I don't actually know about my sexuality, though..." 

Kisumi's gaze became slightly unfocused, as if he was lost in a world of his own. Rin recognised this as his chance, although feeling a little guilty about taking advantage of Kisumi's moment of vulnerability, he had to win this bet, and was oddly desperate to see Kisumi blush himself. Rin would be an absolute mess by the time he was finished, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. 

And so, pushing away his hesitant thoughts, Rin moved forward to close the gap between their lips. 

It was as if all time had stopped, both Kisumi and Rin frozen in the shock of what was happening. Rin was painfully aware of how still Kisumi's lips were against his, and he was worried for a moment that the other would pull away early. He brought up a hand to gently stroke Kisumi's cheek, feeling the warm skin under his fingertips, trying to coax Kisumi out of his paralysed state. 

It seemed to work, as hesitantly, but surely, Kisumi began to kiss back. A hand came up to meet Rin's, grazing the knuckles with a soft touch that left Rin's entire body tingling. 

He pulled back, analysing Kisumi's face with careful red eyes. There was a blush staining Kisumi's cheeks, threatening to spread and take over his entire face as purple eyes met red. 

Rin felt so victorious for a second that he forgot to breathe. He was happy - extremely happy - that he had managed to win the bet, but his sense of triumphant also came from the fact that Rin had kissed Kisumi. And, judging by the other's expression, they had both enjoyed it. 

This was enough for Rin. Even if Kisumi hadn't blushed, and Rin's last resort tactic had failed, he wouldn't care. Not after something like that. 

The silence lasted for quite a while, the two just staring into each other's eyes as they tried to comprehend what they had just done. Kisumi was the first to speak. 

"Good god, Rin, I think I might be gay. This is your fault."

Rin had an awful lot to tell Sousuke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was alright, and I apologise if anyone was a little OOC ;•_• Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a request if you have one :)


	6. Babysitting Adventures {Soukisu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffs, fluffs, fluffs, many much fluffs. Even though it's a Sousuke x Kisumi oneshot, the main drama is actually with Hayato, I hope it's alright :3 Hayato is actually such a precious smol I need more of him in season 3 now o.O

Sousuke liked to think that he was prepared for anything when it came to his relationship with Kisumi. He had realised the full extent of his crush a little while ago, and had decided to act on it as soon as he was certain of his feelings. 

His efforts payed off, and Sousuke was invited over to Kisumi's to have dinner and spend the evening.

He had checked himself over in the mirror countless times, making sure that his hair was neat (but not as if he had spent time on it) and his clothes were stainless. He wasn't completely sure why Kisumi made him feel as he did, but there was no reason to dive into his emotions too deeply. All he knew was that he had romantic feelings for Kisumi, and he wanted their friendship to become something more. 

Sousuke had run through every possible situation in his head, and had planned out how he would make his move. Whether Kisumi wanted to eat in or out, Sousuke would act naturally, trying to determine the other's feelings for him, all the while replaying his plan in his head. No matter what, even if Kisumi showed no signs of interest, Sousuke would still confess. He had promised himself that, and he wasn't going to back out from nervousness. Definitely not.

Anyway, after all of that intense planning, Sousuke was certain he was ready for anything that night. He was prepared for Kisumi to return his feelings, he was prepared for Kisumi not to return his feelings, he was prepared for dinner, he was prepared for his confession, he was prepared for Kisumi's cooking to be awful, he was prepared to go to a restaurant for dinner, he was prepared to go to a fast-food place for dinner. Heck, he was even prepared for aliens to come and abduct both of them. 

However, there was one thing he was not prepared for. 

After impatiently waiting outside on Kisumi's doorstep for a few seconds, Sousuke was greeted by the usual cheerful Kisumi, and welcomed into the house. He removed his shoes, glancing around as he took in the details of the interior of Kisumi's house. He then turned to the living room, and noticed the small blob of salmon-coloured hair that was sitting on the couch. Momentarily confused, he glanced back towards the doorway, to see whether Kisumi had somehow managed to weave his way around Sousuke without him noticing. However, Kisumi was still there, hovering with a slightly-guilty look on his face. And then, as the pieces had begun to slot into place in Sousuke's mind, Kisumi spoke the dreaded words. 

"My parents are out tonight, and they left me to babysit Hayato… I guess I thought it would be nice if you came over to meet him?" 

And, there he was. Completely unprepared. His thoughts from before had become too extravagant, causing Sousuke to completely overlook one vital, irritating pice of information. Kisumi, of course, had a younger brother. 

"And how come you didn't tell me this?" Sousuke hissed quietly under his breath so that the figure in the living room didn't overhear. 

"Um... I guess I forgot?" Kisumi replied, the sheepish grin still on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. Sousuke rolled his eyes, knowing full well that wasn't the reason. It was common knowledge that Sousuke wasn't that good with children, or rather, children weren't that good with him. As soon as they laid eyes on his abnormal height and almost-permanent frown, they would either go running back to their parents, or just steer clear. Either way, kids didn't like Sousuke, and therefore, he didn't like them. Kisumi just would have known that Sousuke wouldn't have turned up if he knew that it would be the three of them.

From what Sousuke could remember, Hayato was a shy kid. That recollection was confirmed to be correct when Sousuke entered the living room, causing the indigo pair of eyes to raise up to his tall frame. A look of fear flickered across the small boy's face, and his knees tucked further into his chest, as he seemed to try and reduce his own size. 

Although Sousuke had been expecting that reaction, he couldn't help but feel slightly offended. This particular child was one that Sousuke wanted to impress, due to one slightly embarrassing fact. It was quite funny, how older siblings were always interpreted to be the scary ones to try and impress, but the younger ones were just as intimidating, if not more.

"Hayato, this is Sousuke. Sousuke, this is my younger brother, Hayato," Kisumi said, speaking in a cheerful tone to try and break the silence. Sousuke appreciated the gesture, although he was well-aware that he needed more than just a little support from Kisumi to become a trustworthy person to Hayato. 

"Yo," Sousuke greeted, trying to make himself sound as nice as he could. The charm didn't seem to work, as Hayato just blinked, before turning to look back at the blank-screened TV. 

"It's alright, he'll warm up to you eventually," Kisumi spoke quietly, placing a supportive hand on Sousuke's shoulder. The taller sighed, keeping his gaze on his latest challenge. 

He really was not prepared for this. 

"Well... We have a little while till I'm gonna make us dinner, so why don't we watch a movie to pass the time?" Kisumi suggested, voice bright and airy as he removed his hand from Sousuke's shoulder to clasp them together.

Hayato shrugged, his gaze momentarily flicking back to Sousuke, before turning to stare at the TV once again. Sousuke, feeling utterly defeated and wallowing in self-pity, nodded at Kisumi's question. 

"Great! I'll go get something, anyone got any preferences?" 

The room remained silent again, Hayato still refusing to say a word, and Sousuke not having the willpower to speak. 

"...I'll find something in my DVD case, it seems like you two don't really mind." 

Kisumi headed off before Sousuke could even say anything, disappearing into the depths of what Sousuke could only presume was his bedroom. 

Reluctantly, he tore his eyes from Kisumi's now-closed door, and instead rested his gaze upon Hayato. Taking a deep breath, Sousuke decided to sit down on the sofa as well, causing Hayato to shuffle away even more. It really was an impossible situation. 

"So... Do you play basketball?" Sousuke asked, thinking of the first thing that came to his mind. Considering Kisumi's great passion for the sport, Hayato was bound to have some sort of connection to it as well.

However, all he got in reply was a small shrug, Hayato's eyes still stubbornly trained on the TV. Sousuke watched indignantly, resisting the urge to claw his hair out. 

"A shrug? I'm not gonna get much from that, kid..." He tiled his head forward slightly, trying to get a better look at Hayato's expression. In response to this, Hayato turned his head to the side, causing Sousuke to grit his teeth in frustration. He was trying his best... 

And then, as if the gods had opened their hearts to him, Hayato gave a slight shake of hid head. 

"You don't play basketball?" 

Another shake. 

"Do you do any sports?" 

A nod. 

"What do you do, then?" 

Silence. Not that Sousuke was epxecting anything else. 

"...Athletics?" 

Hayato shook his head. Sousuke sighed quietly, leaning back slightly on the cushions. He was playing the guessing game now, although there was nothing else he could do. If this was what it took to break down Hayato's walls, then Sousuke was more than willing.

"Football?" Most boys liked football, right? 

Hayato didn't seem to, as there was another head-shake. 

"Uh... Martial arts?" 

Shake.

"Swimming?" 

A pause. And then a nod. 

Sousuke sat up abruptly, a new feeling of hope blossoming within him. Hayato liked swimming? That meant a lot, it was something that they had in common, a conversation starter. Or, at least, something for Sousuke to talk about until Kisumi returned, as it didn't seem like Hayato was much of a conversationalist. 

"That's cool, I like swimming too. What stroke do you do?"

"Backstroke," Hayato answered evenly, although Sousuke could hear a hesitant shake in his voice. But, ignoring that, Sousuke was just ecsatic that he had finally succeeded in getting a reply.

"Backstroke, huh? Nice," Sousuke said, cursing himself at his short reply. He had finally been given an opening, and now he didn't know what to say. Maybe it was best to move onto another subject, he didn't want to overwhelm Hayato by talking about swimming too much. He frowned slightly, realising how deeply he was planning his own conversation topics. Not only did Kisumi make Sousuke overthink, it now seemed that his younger brother did as well. It was probably just a Shigino thing.

"Sorry if, uh, I'm intruding on your alone time with your brother or something..." He said slowly, not exactly sure how to phrase it. There was a tiny feeling in his heart that felt a little sympathetic for Hayato, as he had probably wanted an evening with Kisumi all to himself as well, and then Sousuke came along and invaded their private time.

A shrug. 

"I guess it's nice to finally meet my friend's younger brother, though. He talks about you a lot."

Hayato turned his head slightly at Sousuke's words, with a confused expression on his face.

"What do you mean, 'friend?'" Hayato asked, speaking his first proper sentence since Sousuke met him. However, Sousuke was a little too pre-occupied with Hayato's question to notice. Was his crush on Kisumi that obvious that even Hayato had noticed? And, if so, did Kisumi know as well?

"Yeah... 'Friend...'" Sousuke's voice cracked slightly, and he gulped to try and soothe his suddenly-parched throat. 

Hayato's face became bright red, and Sousuke was able to see the clear blush on his cheeks even in the dim lighting of the living room. 

"Sorry... I guess I just thought you were boyfriends..." 

Sousuke felt his mouth drop open, as he struggled to process what Hayato had said. There was a slight possibility that Sousuke and Kisumi acted as if they were that close when they were together (and he nearly had a heart attack just thinking about that) but there was no way for Hayato to know, since he had only officially met Sousuke a few minutes ago. Could it be that Kisumi…? 

"It's just that Kisumi talks about you loads, and he likes you a lot so I just kinda thought..." Hayato spoke as if confirming Sousuke's suspicions, causing an unwelcome blush to spread across his cheeks. 

Unfortunately, before Sousuke could even begin to interrogate Hayato on the exact words Kisumi had been using to describe him, the pink-haired male himself burst into the room, a DVD case in his hand. 

"Sorry about the wait, you guys! The discs were all mixed up, so I had to look in loads of different cases to actually find this, but..." He trailed off, holding the case up in the air with triumph. "I found it!" 

The cover was decorated in a cartoon-like art-style, and Sousuke immediately recognised the title of 'My Neighbour Totoro.' 

"Can't get any better than a bit of Studio Ghibli, right?" 

Hayato's eyes lit up at Kisumi's words, and Sousuke found himself quite honoured that he'd even managed to get the boy to act so naturally around him. They may not have a perfect relationship yet, but Hayato had just admitted to assuming that Sousuke was dating his older brother, so that had to count for something, right? Speaking of which, Sousuke was still reeling from the earlier conversation. 

"Now, Hayato, this couch only fits two. You're sitting on the floor," Kisumi said, padding over to the TV and carefully slotting the disc into the machine.

Hayato groaned loudly, "Why do I have to go on the floor?" 

"Because my bones are getting too old. You're still young and flexible." 

Hayato giggled at that, obediently slipping off the couch and onto the carpeted floor. It was amazing how he seemed so relaxed compared to his tenseness before, and Sousuke couldn't help but look fondly down at him as Kisumi took his place on the couch. Damn the Shigino's, for making him feel like that. 

The movie started, and Hayato even crawled over to the light switch to turn off the lights, creating a more cinematic atmosphere. Sousuke had seen the movie many times, and although it was one he enjoyed, there were far more important things on his mind. 

Such as Kisumi.

He had promised himself that, to matter what, he would make a move that night. And, even though things had taken a very unexpected turn, Sousuke was almost happy that everything happened as it had. But, he had to do something. 

And so, he carefully placed his hand on top of Kisumi's, gently intertwining their fingers on the soft material of the couch. Kisumi's hand was warm, warmer than Sousuke had expected, and he found himself welcoming the heat. Kisumi didn't pull away, and neither did Sousuke. 

It was safe to say that the only person who was actually concentrating on the film was Hayato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay, I enjoyed writing this one, too! Anyways, feel free to comment if you have a request for me to write <3


	7. Cat Comfort {Makoharu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by hazel333 on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey, so there's a little explaining to do about this one XD It's technically a sequel to the Reigisa oneshot 'The Changing Rooms' which was a sequel to the very first Reigisa oneshot 'Distractions.' However, this could also be read as a stand-alone, the events of those two oneshots is sort of mentioned in this, but it shouldn't be too confusing. Hope it's alright! :3
> 
> {Warning- A lot of flustered Makoto}

There were many reasons why Makoto liked cats.

They were absolutely adorable, for starters, with their sparkling eyes and delicate whiskers, and usually came with a considerable amount of fur for Makoto to run his hands through and let tickle his nose. Of course, that didn't mean he disliked the hairless cats, as cats were cats, and that was all that mattered to him. 

However, there was one reason that rose above the rest, and it was quite simple. He loved the intelligent, understanding look in their eyes, that could only be given if the animal really trusted someone. He felt as if, when he was around cats, as stupid as it sounded, he was completely open. They somehow knew what he was feeling, if he was nervous, or upset, and it would be a comfort that someone was aware, even if they couldn't do anything to help directly. 

That was why he was looking forward to seeing the little white cat on the steps that day. He had spent an entire night tossing and turning in bed, knowing that he was overreacting, but not able to silence his thoughts. 

Ever since he and Haru had walked in on Rei and Nagisa's little make-out session in the changing rooms, Makoto hadn't been able to stop thinking. He was happy for his friends, but the sight had left a bitter taste in his mouth, as he wanted nothing more than to act that way with a different person. And there was no way said person would return his feelings. 

And so, he had destroyed himself as he dreaded going to Haru's house the next morning, having to drag his best friend out of the bath as per usual, pretending that nothing had changed. Because, in reality, nothing had, and Makoto was just struggling to get over a crush. 

But... His feelings for Haru were so much more than that. They couldn't be described as a crush, because crushes tended to be fleeting, wistful things. No... Makoto loved Haru, and he was well-aware of that, which was proving to be a problem. He couldn't say anything to Haru, from the fear of being rejected and tossed aside, their friendship ruined because Makoto wasn't strong enough to handle his feelings on his own. 

And yet, he couldn't continue like this. The painful desire was bearable before, but with the added burden of Rei and Nagisa's relationship, it would only increase. After the display in the changing rooms, it was almost definite that the two of them would be acting like a couple, forever reminding Makoto of what he couldn't have. He knew it was selfish, and he hated himself for that, but he couldn't help his feelings, even if he despised them. 

Making his way up the usual stone steps, Makoto clenched his fists in his blazer pockets, trying to quell his nerves. He had finally managed to drag himself out of the house, and was on his way to Haru's, desperately practicing his morning-smile and catchphrase. 

And then, the little cat appeared from the bushes at the side of the steps, causing Makoto's morning to brighten significantly.

The cat was nothing special, it's white fur dirtied slightly from its adventure in the outside world, ribs poking through a little under its skin. The animal obviously wasn't starving, but Makoto did occasionally pass over a small piece of his lunch, if he was feeling especially generous.

Its little green eyes seemed to gaze into Makoto's soul, as he let out a breathy sigh of defeat, reaching into his bento box to give the cat a small piece of fish. Not only did this cause the feline to perk up, it also treated Makoto with maximised respect and affection, which was a bonus for him. He really needed some cat-cuddling therapy that morning.

"If you never see me again after this morning, it'll be because I died of embarrassment," Makoto said softly, stroking the cat's head as it nibbled on the piece of fish, innocent eyes momentarily glancing up to look at him. Makoto sighed again, feeling as though he would be doing a lot of that soon, and sat down on one of the steps. 

He didn't really have the energy or will-power to play with the cat today, but he did give it some food, so hopefully that would be enough to keep it happy. After finishing it's meal, the little ball of fluff proceeded to crawl onto Makoto's lap and sit there.

Staring out over the town below him, Makoto tried telling himself for the umpteenth that he was over-reacting. The cat seemed to sense his tenseness, as he had suspected it would, and leant up slightly on its back paws so that its head brushed against the bottom of Makoto's cheek. It was a comforting, fleeting feeling that left Makoto's body tingling from the cuteness, and he couldn't help but be glad that he'd spent some extra time on the cat-infested steps that morning. 

It had calmed him down considerably, and he carried on his journey feeling a little lest lost than before. He had even left one more piece of fish as a thank-you for the cat's therapy session. 

However, when he eventually reached the top of the steps and was faced with Haru's front door, his confidence plummeted back to its rightful place on the ground. 

He presseed a shaking finger to the doorbell, letting the sound ring out into the house twice before he went around the back, taking his usual entrance route. Everything that morning was normal, as it always was, and Makoto was a fool for thinking otherwise. Haru would be lying in the bathtub in his swimsuit, Makoto would help him out, Haru would make breakfast while Makoto panicked about being late, and they would head to school together as they always did. 

And then they would see Rei and Nagisa together, and Makoto's embarrassment would kill him.

Swallowing his own doubts, Makoto opened the door gently to be greeted with the usual empty hallway. 

"Sorry for the intrusion..." He called out sullenly, slipping his shoes off next to the door and stepping over the threshold. After making a quick check that Haru's clothes were in the basket outside of the bathroom, he entered the room to see the familiar sight of Haru in his trusted bath tub. 

"Good morning, Haru-chan." Smile. Tilt head. Close eyes slightly. Hold out hand. Makoto repeated the instructions in his head, determined to cover up his inner turmoil. Unfortunately, hiding emotions never seemed to work on Haru, and for once, Makoto cursed their unique, expression-reading bond.

"What's wrong? Your face is red. And drop the 'chan,'" Haru spoke evenly, but Makoto could hear the curiosity in his tone as their hands locked, and he helped Haru out of the bath with a steady grip. 

"Nothing's wrong. I just... Jogged here, for extra exercise," Makoto replied, trying to keep his own voice steady as he widened his smile. Haru, of course, didn't believe him. Makoto wasn't very good at lying in the first place, and faced with someone who knew him as well as Haru did, his chances of fooling him were nearly impossible.

"Right..." Luckily, Haru also seemed to know his boundaries, and was able to tell when Makoto didn't want to talk about something. He kept his eyes fixed on anywhere apart from Haru's still-dripping body as the two of them made their way into the kitchen area, Haru throwing an apron on top of his bare chest and swimming trunks. Makoto sighed again, knowing it was hopeless to try and drag Haru away from his mackerel breakfast, and instead opted to sit down on one of the cushions in the kitchen as he waited.

Once Haru had finished preparing his breakfast, and also went to join Makoto in the living room, a silence ensued. Normally, the silences between Makoto and Haru were comfortable ones, both lost in their own little world of thoughts, but also able to tell what the other was thinking. Some people thought it was weird, but Makoto thought it was pure bliss, having such a strong relationship with someone. That was why he didn't want to risk anything changing, as much as he wanted it to, and that was also why he felt so guilty that their silence had been infected with awkwardness. 

It was clear that Haru felt uncomfortable as well, as Makoto was able to pick up on his small shuffling movements, the way his blue eyes would glance up on occasion to meet Makoto's, who would blush and turn away at being caught staring. He was so embarrassed, he felt as though he was a school girl in one of the childish films Ran would force him to watch. 

Deciding that he would physically keel over and die if their gazes met again, Makoto concentrated on the interior of Haru's house. He admired the simple, neat set-up, photos and paintings that he had seen countless times before, studying them with an interest as if it was his first. 

If Haru hadn't picked up on something before, Makoto was certain that he would have now. He was being so obvious that it was painful, but he couldn't do anything to stop it. Maybe there was a small part of him that wished for Haru to act. 

"I'm done. Let's go," Haru spoke, breaking the silence that they had built. Makoto glanced up, surprise filling his features. It was rare for Haru to be the one to prompt their leave, which made Makoto wonder if he seemed so out of it that he physically wasn't able to carry out simple, everyday actions such as leaving a house.

If so, then he really might die of embarrassment. 

"R-Right, of course," He stuttered, cursing himself for the shaky vulnerability that carried in his voice as he stood. Haru did the same, carrying his empty dish to the kitchen to wash up later. 

Haru crossed over to his bedroom to change, leaving Makoto standing alone in the room looking like a lost four-year-old. And, to be completely honest, that was how he felt. 

"Get it together, Makoto," He hissed quietly, so as not to be heard by his best friend just a floor above him. "What do you think you're doing? Just smile, act natural." 

He began pacing, hands clenched into fists as he whispered similar words of encouragement to himself, trying to evaluate his performance so far, nit-picking everything wrong with it. There was a lot, but he didn't really want to focus on every cringe-worthy act he had committed so far, as that would further increase his embarrassment. And, he had felt enough of that already.

As he had been keeping his ears open for any sign of Haru returning downstairs, Makoto was prepared for the tapping of footsteps above him, and abruptly halted his weird behavoir. He planted another smile on his face, checking its convincingness in his reflection on the blank TV screen, turning back just in time to face Haru. 

"You're definitely acting strange today..." The swimmer announced, almost as if he was saying it to himself. Makoto gulped audibly. 

"N-Nope! I'm not!" His voice became so high-pitched that he was surprised it didn't crack, and once again cursed his horrifying lying abilities. 

To Makoto's relief, Haru began making his way towards the door, Makoto following eagerly behind. It seemed that he wouldn't be getting interrogated just yet, although he knew that Nagisa would be probing him as soon as he laid eyes on Makoto's flustered figure. 

He could only hope that Haru wasn't around when that happened. 

Suddenly, Makoto bumped into a very solid thing in front of him, and realised with a start that he had walked straight into Haru's back. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he had failed to notice that the other had stopped walking.

"H-Huh? Oh, Haru, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had-" 

"Makoto." 

"Yes?" 

Before Makoto could even realise what was happening, Haru's once turned body was now facing him completely, and there was a hand on his neck, gently pushing his face lower so that his lips could meet the ones waiting for him.

He was faintly aware of the blood rushing to his face, and couldn't help but wonder if his cheeks would catch on fire. He had been blushing so much in the space of an hour, it wasn't too far-fetched. 

Just as the pieces began to slot into place, and he realised that Haru was kissing him, the warmth on his mouth disappeared, and Makoto was left gasping. 

"Wh-What was that?" 

"A kiss," Haru replied simply, turning back to put on his shoes. However, Makoto wasn't prepared to leave it at that. 

"Well, yes, b-but what was it for?" He didn't even care about his stuttering anymore. Haru had kissed him. Kissed. Him. He had spent over twelve hours fretting about how his feelings for Haru were pointless, only for this to happen. And... It was a small chance, but was it possible that Haru liked him as well? The thought made Makoto so giddy that he could've passed out on the spot. 

"Well, when we saw Nagisa and Rei kissing in the changing rooms, I wanted to know what it was like." 

'And you chose me?' Makoto cried desperately in his mind, forcing himself to take a deep breath to try and calm his furious heartbeat. 

"How was it, then?" 

"Nice, I suppose. But you didn't kiss back, which was disappointing. I assumed that we liked each other, you know, you tend to wait for me after swimming and sometimes I see you looking at me in class." 

Dammit. Makoto should've tried to be more subtle. But, this was no time to curse his tactlessness, as he kept repeating Haru's previous sentence over and over again in his head. 'I assumed we liked each other.' What did that mean? There were signs mounting up, signs that led Makoto to believe that his feelings for Haru may not just be one-way. He hadn't been the one to initiate the kiss, Haru had, and not only that, Haru had just confessed to assuming that their relationship was romantic. 

"If you kiss me again, I'll kiss back," Makoto spoke without thinking, his desperation becoming too much. He'd had a quick taste of what Haru was like, something that he had wanted for so long, and he wasn't prepared to let a chance like this slip away. 

And so, Haru kissed him again. Makoto was ready this time, more than ready, and immediately began to kiss back as soon as their lips were locked. Haru's hand found it's place on Makoto's neck again, but the guidance wasn't needed this time, although Makoto did enjoy the tingling feeling that the touch left. 

In return, Makoto cupped one of Haru's cheeks in his hand, gently brushing the skin with his thumb. His love-struck little mind had pictured this moment so many times, and now that it was finally here, Makoto wanted to give it his all. 

However, all good things must come to an end, and the two eventually separated. Makoto couldn't help but notice the small layer of pink coating Haru's cheeks, even though he knew that his own blush would be far more ferocious. 

Haru's eyes studied Makoto's face for a moment, before he gave a small nod of approval. 

"Yes. That was better."

He then turned, slipped on his shoes, and headed outside. Makoto had to blink a few times to wake himself from his state of shock, and managed to slip his shoes back on with trembling fingers. 

"H-Haru, wait!" 

As he rushed out into the street to chase his best friend, who was well on his way by then, Makoto couldn't help but notice that the little white cat was still sitting on the steps.


	8. Swimming Lessons {Rinrei}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Genocide_Doll on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeek, I am complete Reigisa trash, but I have an odd affection for this ship as well, I honestly cannot get my act together and decide on just one. This oneshot might start off kinda boring, because it's pretty much a write-up of a canon scene, but it does take a little twist at the end ;)

"That's right, cool."

Rin's voice was slightly impacted by the splashing of water near Rei's ears, but he was still able to make out what the other was saying. 

"Stay balanced over your hips." 

He concentrated on Rin's words, following his orders. It was an odd sensation, lying on his back in the water, face pointing up toward the large domed ceiling of the Samezuka swimming pool. Despite the bright white lights that blared in every direction, Rei still noticed how late it was getting, from the blackness that was beginning to spread into the sky, visible behind the roof of glass. He was also painfully aware of how alone he and Rin were at that moment. 

Kiciking his feet lightly to keep afloat, Rei continued to try and maintain his position, doing his best to listen to Rin's coaching instructions. His logical brain told him that he should be moving, thanks to the momentum his feet were providing him, but because of Rin's sturdy hands supporting his back, he was ground firmly in place. This let Rin have a good view of Rei's posture, and gave him the opportunity to change some things too. 

"Time your strokes to your breaths," Rin carried on speaking clearly. "Aside from that, just do exactly like I showed you." "Alright!" Rei replied eagerly, running over Rin's previous advice in his head. He could still remember the flustered feeling that he had felt when asking for Rin's help, and the delight when the other had agreed. Not only was he going to get another chance to figure out his strokes, he was also going to spend some time with Rin. He still couldn't figure out why that had excited him so much.

"Let's go," Rin said, abruptly drawing Rei's attention back to him. His practical side immediately began to scold himself, as he could daydream all he wanted when he was alone, but in this moment his concentration needed to be at full-capacity. He couldn't afford to make a fool of himself now, in front of Rin. 

The weight on his back disappeared, as Rin drew his hands back, Rei losing the support that had kept him up just a few moments ago. It was now or never. 

Rei began moving his arms to propel himself forward, or backwards, as it was the backstroke they were currently practicing. He squeezed his eyes and mouth shut, prepared for the familiar sensation of pool water washing over his face as his body went under the surface. 

However... The feeling never came. His face remained astonishingly dry, and Rei parted his lips to take in a cautious, experimental breath, making sure to time it with his strokes, as Rin had advised. Sure enough, refreshing air entered his mouth, and he realised that he was, in fact, floating. 

A sudden feeling of excitement overtaking him, Rei blinked open his eyes. He was met with the ceiling, as expected, but the sight couldn't help but shock him. Stars were blinking down, barely visible through the slightly-translucent haze of the glass roof, panes coloured a deep black curtesy of the night sky above. 

Although Rei was well-aware that butterfly was his best, and would always be his best stroke, he finally realised why Makoto loved the backstroke so much. It definitely was an entirely different experience to be able to see the sky as he was swimming, the rushing of water just in-line with his ears, and the floating feeling that accompanied it. It was so beautiful, and- 

Rei's arms brushed against something hard, and it took until his head made contact with the object for him to realise that it was one of the yellow lane-dividers. 

He flipped over onto his front abruptly, using the sturdy line of floats to hold himself up as he leaned his arms against them, coughing. There was an empty feeling in his stomach, one of disappointment. He may not have sunk, which was, admittedly, an achievement, but he had also been feeling so victorious in those few moments that it was hard to believe he had gone so off-course. 

But, before Rei could begin to overwhelm himself with negativity, a voice spoke from beside him. 

"You did it!" Rei turned his head in shock at Rin's words. They sounded so honest, so earnest, and Rei couldn't hear a single forceful lie in them. Could it be that he really had done it, if only for a short while? 

"Did I really?" He couldn't help the smile that blossomed on his face as he turned completely, pressing his feet down to the bottom of the pool so he could stand on the same level as Rin. 

"Yeah. Alright, next up, let's do front crawl!" Rin placed his hands on his hips, gazing at Rei with an emotion that the other couldn't quite place. Rei, at Rin's words, dropped his smile and instead took on a look of determination, deciding to ignore the unnamed emotion he had seen on Rin's face a few seconds ago. However, it seemed that they weren’t going to continue just yet. 

"But seriously, I'm impressed your swimming has come this far," Rin said, grinning a slightly lop-sided smirk. Rei tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach at that, and desperately concentrated on Rin's words to try and divert his attention from his smile.

"Honestly, I thought you would've given up long before now," Rin continued, his features softening slightly. Rei glanced to the side, not sure if he could handle the distraction that was Rin's face as he thought of his answer. 

"I'd always thought just swimming one style, like Haruka-senpai, would be enough. The way I look floundering about in the water is not beautiful. If it meant having to look that way all the time, I thought I'd rather not swim at all. But... Despite that, I... I didn't want to give up!" A slight blush began to stain his cheeks as he realised how many of his private thoughts he was spilling to Rin, but at that moment, he couldn't find it in himself to care. 

Rin's grin slipped for a second, his face becoming surprised. Then, he closed his eyes, tilting his head down slightly as another smile played at his lips. 

"I'm sorry for making you join me everyday," Rei carried on, feeling guilty as he spoke the words. Unlike getting help from the Iwatobi Team, who had swimming training together anyway, Rin had to use his own free time to teach Rei. 

"It's after our team's practice, so I don't mind," Rin answered evenly, looking up. "Plus... I really owe you."

Rei glanced up as well, meeting Rin's gaze. He blinked for a moment, wondering what the other meant. What in the world had Rei done to make Rin owe him? He racked his brain desperately, trying to think of an answer, but failed to find one. 

"What?" 

"...Nothing," The same emotion from earlier passed across Rin's face for a second, before being replaced with a familiar sharp-toothed grin. "OK, let's do this. You want to surprise them, right?"

"Right!" Rei answered, deciding to shrug off Rin's behaviour. He was being a burden in the first place, even if Rin said that he did owe him, and Rei didn't want to intrude any more than he already had done. Besides, he was eager to see his teammates' reactions to his achievements. However, there was also something else... If, or when, Rei did manage to succeed at his strokes, he couldn't help but feel like it would mean something special to him, more than just the triumph of overcoming a problem. The fact that Rin was the one to help, and it had been Rin who Rei had spent his struggling evenings with... Well, it would be nice, to always have that little reminder of what they had managed to do together. 

"Alright, let's go about this in the same way that we did with the backstroke. First, I'll give you a little example, then I'll help you get into a good position, and finally you can give it a go yourself!" Rin said, bringing his goggles over his eyes, also doing his usual ritual of pulling the strap back and snapping it against the back of his head. Rei still couldn't understand how and why Rin did that, as on the rare occasion that Rei tried it himself, it ended with a throbbing in his skull, and him nearly being reduced to tears. 

Maybe that was also something Rin could teach Rei on, although that skill might not be quite as useful as swimming techniques.

Rin began swimming before Rei was even ready, but he didn't have to worry about missing out on anything. The red-head was going at a much slower pace than usual, presumably to let Rei get a good view of his technique. 

Rei was immediately struck at how simple Rin made it seem. When Rei had been watching Haruka in the water, he had felt admiration, but had also been slightly intimidated. The freestyle swimmer's stroke had been so flawless, so elegant, and on such a higher-level to Rei's that it had almost been too overwhelming. However, Rin's technique seemed much more approachable, and Rei found himself smiling before he could help himself. This didn't mean that Rin's swimming was mediocre, as despite not being quite as flawless as Haruka's, it was still extremely beautiful, and it didn't take a lot to realise that Rin really felt at home in the water.

"Got it?" Rei was brought back to earth when Rin called over from the other side of the pool. He blinked, realising with a start that he hadn't really been paying attention to the little things that Rin was doing, and had been focusing more on the entire picture. And then, he'd just settled on admiring Rin on a whole. 

See, this was the inconvenience of having a crush. It caused his focus to be off, and he would get behind on- 

Wait... Did he just admit to having a crush on Rin? 

"Ah... Yes!" Rei blurted out quickly. He didn't want Rin to suspect anything. However, he had a small inclination to cancel all of their lessons after this one, as he wasn't sure how well he would do given his current situation. It would be a shame for them to lose this little bit of time they shared together, but now that Rei had managed to figure out what his feelings were (and he was definite of his crush after just a few seconds of thinking about it) they weren't going to manage to get much done. Swimming lessons would be quite impractical, but... Maybe Rei could ask Rin out for coffee? 

...If he managed to muster up enough courage to do so.

"Come on, don't look so scared!" Rin said, taking on a slightly teasing tone as he swam closer. "We're doing the same thing as with backstroke, remember? So, I'll hold you up and help you get into a good position." 

No. This was not what Rei needed.

Unfortunately, it would look quite suspicious if he just bolted then and there, especially after how eager he had appeared earlier. And so, Rei swallowed his doubts, inwardlly praying that he would manage to make it through the next fifteen minutes alive.

"Let's concentrate on breathing first, since that's a really vital part of swimming freestyle," Rin said, moving around Rei as if examining a project. "You can stay standing for this one, and practice the arm movements up here as well. The kicking part is fairly easy, we'll concentrate on that a little later." 

Rin turned sideways so that he and Rei were facing the same direction, and began moving his arms as an example, tilting his head to the side in time to resemble the breathing motion. "Kind of like in backstroke, you want to time this right." 

This time he bent down slightly so that his face was closer to the water. 

"Listen to the fishies…" He turned his head to the side, ear pressing against the surface of the water. "And then tell them your secrets!" This time, Rin submerged his face completely, following that with a proud smile when he resurfaced. Rei, meanwhile, was struggling not to laugh. 

"'Listen to the fishes, and then tell them your secrets?'" He spluttered, feeling slightly guilty for laughing. The advice did seem useful, although the way Rin had said it... 

Rin blushed indignantly at Rei's teasing, dramatically turning his face and sticking his nose in the air. "Shut up. It was helpful."

"Well, I definitely won't forget it," Rei admitted, his laughter dying down to a mere smile. 

After a little prompting from Rin, Rei began moving his arms in what he hoped was the right way. He had studied the technique a lot, but when he was in Rin's presence, other, more pressing thoughts would threaten to overtake his mind, and he would find himself failing to remember various details. 

His cluelessness seemed to show, as Rin let out a short sigh before bringing his hands forward to grab Rei's wrists. 

"Alright, stop a second. Let's try again." 

And so, they did. Again, and again, and again. Rei was frustrated with how it was turning out, but Rin's firm touch on his wrists would never fail to calm him down, and then they would repeat the cycle. 

Rei wasn't sure how long he would last, because as soothing as Rin was, every small moment of contact would leave a tingling feeling in Rei's arms, which would then continue to spread throughout his entire body. He would definitely stop their joint swimming lessons after this, even if it meant he would never be able to swim any other strokes, because really, his crush was absolutely hopeless. 

"Cool, that's looking better. Now... You're gonna have to breathe," Rin said. Rei realised with embarrassment that he had been keeping his head down that entire time, in a pathetic attempt to hide his blush, and hadn't been practicing the breathing side to the exercise at all. 

He was about to bring his head to the side to begin the process, but a hand managed it before him. A familiar firm grip on his chin, turning Rei's face towards the owner. 

Rei glanced away on impulse, fully-aware of the scarlet eyes that would be awaiting his gaze, and frankly, Rei didn't think he had the strength to go through that. His face would probably become so hot that it would melt off, or something incredibly embarrassing like that. 

However, Rin's hand remained grasping Rei's chin, and he couldn't help but raise his eyes to see what was causing the overly-long pause. What he saw was the same emotion from earlier, that one Rei found impossible to name, captured obviously on Rin's face. 

And, before Rei could do anything else, Rin's lips were on his. 

Both of them seemed surprised, and there was a heart-stopping moment when neither did anything. However, Rin being the first to recover, brushed one of his fingers softly across Rei's cheek, alerting him. Rei wasn't even sure whether his eyes were open or closed, he wasn't aware of anything. All he could do was kiss back hesitantly, even mustering the courage to slip one of his hands on Rin's neck.

The kiss was over as quickly as it began, and left both of them gasping (more from shock than lack of oxygen.)

Rei still wasn't completely sure of what had happened, the tingling in his arms from before had spread throughout his entire body, most noticeably to his lips. He didn't know what to do, his brain was failing to work, and before he could stop himself- 

"I do not recall that being part of the freestyle stroke technique."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was a swimming lesson, and I am a very mediocre swimmer so if I got any techniques or anything wrong, please just tell me and spare me the embarrassment XD Anyway, as always, comment if you have a request!


	9. Coffee Coincidences {Natsukisu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My update times are getting bad ;-; Sorry about no upload last week, but I'll be trying to get out one fic every week from now on ^-^ And oh my, the Free! episode last week had me shook. 2020 can't come fast enough D: I can't help but wonder if they tried to time it with Japan's Olympics, though... ;3

Natsuya wasn't certain of what made him visit that particular cafe. Maybe it was because Sunday had arrived, which only meant Monday was one step closer, or the pitiful amount of sleep he had managed to get last night. Either way, he decided to pop out and get a coffee, which lead to him having a run-in with some familiar faces. 

The cool October breeze nipped at his face as he approached the cafe's door, making the thought of a steaming hot coffee even more alluring. He pushed the door open, the small ding of the bell resting on the door frame reaching his ears, and welcomed the warm rush of air that greeted him. 

Just as Natsuya was about to venture further inside, a voice called from his right. 

"Yo, Natsuya!"

Natsuya turned his head in the direction of the voice, and immediately caught sight of a familiar mop of crimson hair, with scarlet eyes to match. A smile tugging at his lips, Natsuya made his way over to the booth that Rin was sitting in. 

"Hey, fancy seeing you guys here," He said, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets as he surveyed Rin's company. Just behind the redhead was Yamazaki Sousuke, who gave Natsuya a small but friendly nod in greeting. Natsuya returned the gesture with a grin, then focused on the person sitting opposite the pair. 

The first thing to strike him about this newcomer was their hair, bright pink and out-of-control, but not in a scatty way. They raised their head to meet Natsuya's gaze, deep magenta eyes sparkling with a mischief that seemed oddly familiar. Natsuya let his grin fall slightly, mind whirring as it struggled to come up with a conclusion its odd flash of recognition.

"Shigino Kisumi," The stranger spoke, giving a cheeky wink that matched his eyes. "You're Ikuya's older brother, right? I was his friend back when we were kids in middle school." 

Natsuya tilted his head to the side slightly, a faint memory beginning to form in his conscience. He could remember trying to get a group of boys to join the swim club, one with black hair and a stoic expression, a taller brunette, a fiery ball of energy with red hair, and of course, Ikuya. Then there was one other, who had been on the opposing team and trying to get the group to join the basketball club. 

"Right... Right, yeah, I think I remember. You wanted to get Ikuya and his friends to join the basketball club or something, right?" 

Kisumi's eyes lit up, whether it was from the mention of the sport, or Natsuya's memory. "Yep! That was me! They never joined, though," He added wistfully, leaning back in his seat slightly. 

"Sorry I stole them from you, Shigino," Natsuya chuckled lightly, his smile returning in full form now that the reunions were over. 

"Just call me Kisumi."

"So, Natsuya, do you want to join us?" Rin offered, after sharing a look with Sousuke that Natsuya decided not to question. "We were just having a catch-up session here, and it seems like you and Kisumi have a little history together." 

"It's not really history," Natsuya replied indignantly, giving Rin what he hoped could be classed as a scolding look, and struggled to refrain himself from putting his middle finger up at Sousuke when he let out a low laugh into to the back of his hand. By now, Natsuya had a pretty good idea of what Rin and Sousuke's look from earlier had been about, and it was almost certainly connected to the pink-haired male sitting with them in the booth. 

He was also pretty sure that staying with the three of them would cause a lot of embarrassment, as Sousuke and Rin teaming up to do something mischievous together was never a good sign. However, there was something drawing Natsuya to this figure from his past, so he decided to take Rin up on his offer. 

After making sure that his coffee had been ordered (as there was no way he would be leaving without his coffee), Natsuya slid smoothly into the seat beside Kisumi, and the stereotypical catch-up chat began.

Their conversation was centred mostly around Kisumi and Rin, who both eagerly asked and answered their respective questions. Sousuke sat back quietly, occasionally letting in a sarcastic side comment or observation, but otherwise content just to drink his large glass of coke. Natsuya would've made an effort to be more talkative, as with life getting more hectic and busy by the day, it would become harder and harder to meet up with his friends and talk like they were at the moment. Unfortunately, there was one very important, and very good-looking reason that he was distracted. 

Kisumi. 

As much as Natsuya tried to resist it, somehow his gaze would always land back on the person sitting next to him. The only time when he sucessfully managed to divert his attention for more than fifteen seconds was when a waiter came to hand him his coffee. The drink sat on the table in front of him, gradually getting colder as he tried to find something else to look at. 

He didn't even know what it was, but there almost seemed to be some sort of supernatural force about Kisumi that made him nice to look at. From the small, faded memories Natsuya had of that average classroom in middle school, Kisumi had been more of a nuisance to him than he was an actual person. After all, he wanted to steal Natsuya's potential swim-club recruites and transfer them to the basketball club. Natsuya was pretty certain that Kisumi's cheeks had been chubbier then, but that might have just been an effect of his youth, and his hair had been a slightly lighter shade. 

Then, he pushed the memories to the back of his head, and began focusing on Kisumi in the present moment. How his head would tilt to the side when he smiled, or how his entire face would lighten up when he laughed, his features scrunching up slightly, a sliver of purple on display underneath droopy eyelids.

Natsuya felt a chill that even coffee couldn't quench when he realised that he had managed to develop a crush within five minutes of being around said crush's presence. 

There was a light kicking on his shin under the table which he decided to ignore, and instead focused on bringing his now-lukewarm mug of coffee up to his lips to take a sip. It wasn't pleasant, due to the impractical temperature, but it offered a slight distraction for a few seconds which Natsuya desperately needed. 

Eventually, the kicking became too tiresome and stubborn to ignore. Natsuya tore his gaze away from Kisumi's face to meet the knowing expression of Sousuke, who's silence seemed to serve more as an observation cover-up than actual quietness. 

"So, Natsuya, how's the swimming going?" Sousuke asked evenly, leaning forward and resting his head on his hands. There was a very obvious 'I know what is up with you and you'd better believe I'm going to act on it' look on his face, which only served to make Natsuya nervous.

"Yeah, you know, Sousuke's right," Rin spoke, seeming to catch onto Sousuke's motives, and went to copy his best friend's mocking position. "I remember when you randomly showed up in Australia and challenged me to a race, only to have the weather rain down on us to cancel it.”

"Swimming is fine..." Natsuya said hesitantly, cringing internally when he felt Kisumi's gaze land on him. He had to eat away. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom, excuse me." 

He stood abruptly, ignoring the knowing looks on both Rin and Sousuke’s faces. Natsuya, for once, didn't spare Kisumi another glance as he made his way into the bathroom, and only allowed himself to relax once the door was closed safely behind him. 

Then, he began panicking. 

When had anyone been able to make Natsuya feel like that? When had anyone been able to entrance Natsuya like that? And, just to think, the person that managed to make him so flustered in the first place was one of his younger brother's childhood friends.

"What is wrong with you?" He groaned, glancing at his bedraggled reflection in the mirror. The blush on his cheeks was painfully obvious. He wasn't sure how observant Kisumi was, but anyone would be able to recognise Natsuya's embarrassment without even having to look closely. 

He stepped forward, placing both hands on the counter has he glared at his reflection. A pep talk would be pointless, and it would be incredibly humiliating if someone happened to walk in on him anyways. Instead, Natsuya decided to take deep breaths, desperately trying to calm himself down and return his face to an acceptable shade before returning to the table.

"Hey, you alright? You were acting pretty weird out there," A voice startled Natsuya out of his thoughts, and he turned to face the person who was causing this mess in the first place. Despite his words, Kisumi seemed fairly unconcerned, his expression one of teasing mischief instead. 

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Natsuya replied flatly, hoping it didn't come over too rude. He wanted nothing more than Kisumi to leave him alone, at least, until he managed to actually figure out what he wanted to do with his confusing feelings.

"Really...?" Kisumi didn't seem to get the hint, and if he did, he decided to ignore it. "Because, your face is pretty red. And I noticed you were staring at me a lot." 

Natsuya blinked, his shock overtaking his embarrassment for a second. How blunt could this guy be? Kisumi laughed lightly, taking a step closer and leaning sideways against the counter that Natsuya was still using to support himself. 

"Look, what I'm trying to say, is that if you want to... I dunno, ask me out or something, you should just say. Or text me, either's fine," Kisumi said, his voice remaining smooth and even, despite the astonished look that had long since settled on Natsuya's face. 

And with those words, Kisumi retreated back out of the small bathroom, leaving Natsuya in his own shocked silence as he stared down at the small piece of paper that now lay on the counter. Kisumi must've put it there when he was leaning against it. 

With shaking fingers, Natsuya picked up the small piece of paper, and read the phone number which had been scrawled messily on its front. 

Well, he sure was glad that he had decided to go out and get coffee that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this oneshot of a rarer ship! :) Feel free to leave a comment if you have one <3


	10. Whale Tattoos {Soumako}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Genocide_Doll on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SouMako, I am SouMako trash, gimme the SouMako =.= But honestly, my friend got me a title on the Free! Amino for my birthday, and it is literally 'SouMako trash' and I don't think anyone could've summed me up better in two words. Also, this is kinda an AU thing where Sousuke's shoulder is still busted, and he can't swim anymore. Oh, and I'd just like to mention that I've never had a tattoo myself, therefore all of the information about tattoos are curtesy of google, so I apologise in advance if something is wrong! <3  
> Also, warning for needles!

Makoto wasn't exactly sure what to think when Sousuke told him that he wanted to get a tattoo.

There had been a part of him that was reluctant, as he knew that tattoos carried a significant risk, with the possibility that the needle was unclean, resulting in some sort of blood disease or HIV. (He had done a little bit of research on the cons after Sousuke had first revealed his desire.) Not only that, there was also some side-effects that people had mentioned online, which included bruising, skin-peeling, and other unpleasant experiences. All in all, this made Makoto very hesitant, as the thought of any of that happening to Sousuke sent shivers down his spine. There was also the undeniable fact that tattoos were extremely hard to get rid of, and if for some reason Sousuke got sick of the image he had chosen, or just wanted to remove it in general, then the price would be high. 

However, Makoto also knew that Sousuke was confident in his decisions. He doubted that there would be a moment when Sousuke would regret getting his tattoo, and even if there was, it would only be a temporary phase. There was also the incredibly heart-warming and convincing speech that Sousuke had given him when he broke the news, one which pretty much won Makoto over straight away.

"I want it to remind me of swimming. If this dumb shoulder injury means I can't swim anymore, there isn't really anything I can do about that. But, I do want to have a reminder, something that'll be with me forever. I'll just be able to look at it, and I'll remember what if felt like to swim, you know? Tattoos also look pretty cool." 

Despite the playful look on Sousuke's face as he said the last part, Makoto knew that every word said had been sincere. He'd never felt so proud of Sousuke in his entire life, which was saying a lot. 

Besides, Makoto trusted Sousuke. If Sousuke wanted this, then Makoto wouldn't impede, he would support. 

And so, that was how Makoto had ended up in a quiet tattoo parlour late Wednesday night, watching silently as Sousuke conversed with the tattoo artist. 

The artist seemed like a reliable one, and had checked that Sousuke wasn't drunk, had eaten well earlier that day, and had a good night's sleep. Makoto, of course, had googled all of these things, and had forced Sousuke to bed at roughly eight-thirty the night before, along with taking Sousuke out for food in town so that he had a sufficient meal. 

He was also beginning to understand why Nagisa and Rin referred to him as the 'Mum-friend.'

Despite being overjoyed that Sousuke had asked Makoto to come with him, as a source of support and company, Makoto couldn't help but feel slightly nervous as he glanced around. He had never been a big fan of needles, blood, or anything on those lines, and he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The research that he had done had been useful, but it wouldn't be able to compare directly to what it would be like to watch someone get tattooed. What if something went wrong? Sousuke also wanted to get the tattoo on the left side of his ribs, which had been said to be more painful than most places. Of course, Makoto had warned him about this, but Sousuke remained stubborn with his preference. 

By the time Makoto had finished his latest burst of fretting, Sousuke had filled out the little form he had been given, and the artist was finding a line-art of Sousuke's given image to copy. The whirring sound of a printer filled the room, and it wasn't long before a printed image was being held in front of their faces. 

"This alright?" 

"Yeah," Sousuke nodded shortly, and Makoto wondered momentarily if Sousuke was feeling nervous. He had been so eager before, but this was his first, so it would be natural to feel a little apprehensive. 

"Cool, where do you want it?" 

"Left side of my ribs." 

The tattoo artist didn's show any reaction, which quelled Makoto's worry slightly. For some reason, he had managed to get it into his mind that rib tattoos were nothing but excrutiating pain, but maybe they only had a slightly more significant sting than the others.

Sousuke took the sturdy-looking black chair, which was reclined slightly to create a more comfortable position. Makoto, not completely sure of what to do with himself, took a smaller wooden one and brought it closer. He didn’t know how long this would be going on for, and in the case that it took nearer to two hours, it would be preferable to sit. 

As the tattoo artist drew closer, gloves now wrapped around his fingers, Sousuke promptly took his shirt off, and Makoto realised that he might've been worrying about the wrong thing the entire time. How was he supposed to sit through however long this would take, with nothing but a shirtless Sousuke to look at? Maybe he should've brought along a book, his phone, anything to distract himself with.

In the end, he resorted to admiring the interior of the tattoo parlour. Shelves upon shelves of ink lined the walls, every pot a slightly different shade. Sousuke had decided to go with a simple black one, but Makoto was sure that a coloured one from this place would also look pretty fantastic. It was quite messily decorated, with photos pinned on boards or blue-tacked to walls, abstract images which seemed to have little in common, yet somehow managed to compliment each other. Quite a few of them seemed to be hand-drawn, and Makoto couldn't help but think of Haru's art. He rarely did any, nowadays, but Makoto could still remember his awe every time his best friend would hold up a new little masterpiece that he had drawn simply as a 'doodle.'

"Alright, let's get started, then," The artist spoke, bringing Makoto out of his thoughts. He turned towards Sousuke this time, deciding to try and swallow his pride so that he could be there to support his friend like his said he would. 

Sure enough, he was met by a familiar pair of teal eyes, and Makoto was immediately struck with the thin layer of insecurity he saw in them. It seemed that his earlier suspicions had been correct, and Sousuke was feeling quite nervous. Makoto wasn't exactly sure what he could do with words, so he did the next best thing, which just so happened to be his speciality. 

He smiled. And the tattoo began.

Sousuke's reaction was almost immediate. His shoulders stiffened slightly, presumably from the shock of the needle piercing his skin, but he managed to keep his breathing steady, as he had been advised to. The whirring of the needle was slightly louder than Makoto had expected it to be, but after a little while it seemed to fade into more of an incoherent blur. 

And, after a little while, Sousuke still hadn't taken his eyes off of Makoto. He suspected that it was nerves, or the need of some sort of comfort. Either way, the constant feeling of being stared at, especially by a shirtless Sousuke, was beginning to make Makoto flustered. In any other situation, he probably would've made some sort of half-assed excuse before fleeing from embarrassment, or stutter out a few words before doing something else to distract himself. However, in this moment, Makoto was needed.

He was the 'Mum-friend' and he would do it well. 

It didn't take long for Makoto to notice how tightly Sousuke was holding onto the armrests of his chair. So tightly, in fact, that his knuckles were beginning to become a worrying shade of white. Swallowing his doubt, Makoto reach out an arm to take one of Sousuke's hands in his. He didn't know how much comfort it would provide, as it was only a little gesture (even if it meant a lot to him) but any help was better than nothing. 

Makoto's research had told him that tattoos could take roughly five-minutes to over a month of multiple sessions, but Sousuke's wasn't too large. It definitely wasn't minute enough to take five minutes, but it should be finished in one session. Time had begun to meld together, and although barely any conversation was made, the silence wasn't awkward, whether it was because of the constant whirring of the needle, or the comfortable atmosphere.

Sousuke was gradually relaxing, seeming to get used to the pain, and Makoto's face was beginning to feel less heated. He would sometimes absentmindedly run his fingers over Sousuke's knuckles, or give his hand a little squeeze of assurance, even if it wasn't needed. And still, Sousuke's eyes never looked away.

To be honest, given the way they were acting, it wasn't a surprise when the tattoo artist voiced his question.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, are you two... Close?"

Makoto might have been quite oblivious when it came to romantic relationships, but even he understood the meaning behind what the artist had asked. Glancing back down at their intertwined hands, Makoto tried to conjure up an answer. He and Sousuke weren't boyfriends, but did he want them to be? Truthfully, Makoto would love to be in a relationship with Sousuke. It was only too bad that he would never have the courage to do anything about it. The fact that he had initiated the hand-holding was enough to send his stomach doing flips, so the thought of asking Sousuke out was dizzying.

Makoto was about to answer what he hoped would be a confident 'no,' but Sousuke beat him to it. 

"Yeah, we're super close." 

Green eyes flew up to examine Sousuke's face, to see if there was any joking smirk, or teasing glance. However, all Makoto was met with was an earnest expression as Sousuke looked away from him for the first time that evening, and instead focused his attention on the tattoo artist. 

Makoto couldn't help but feel oddly bare without Sousuke's gaze on him, despite the warmth that still radiated from Sousuke's hand above his.

"Oh, that's cool for you, dude," The tattoo artist said evenly, giving both Sousuke and Makoto a smile before leaning over slightly to concentrate on Sousuke's ever-growing tattoo. 

Makoto could've admired the piece of artwork, but he was too busy having a mini panic-attack as his brain threatened to overrun his being with unwanted questions. Did Sousuke actually think they were dating? Or, was this Sousuke's way of telling Makoto that he wanted to date him? Maybe Sousuke completely misunderstood what the tattoo artist had asked, and thought that he had meant the question in a friendship-only way. But that couldn't be it, Makoto was far more oblivious than Sousuke, and if Makoto had picked up on it then it was undoubted that the taller male had as well. 

What was Sousuke getting at? 

Makoto was worried that the nervous sweat he had broken into would make it unpleasant for Sousuke to hold his hand, but the other showed no signs of discomfort. Instead, he turned his head slightly so that he was facing Makoto again, and gave his hand a slight squeeze, with a discreet and crooked smile to match. 

That action must have sent Makoto into some sort of out-of-body experience, as the next thing he was aware of was Sousuke grinning proudly as he stared down at his newly-completed tattoo. Giving his head a little shake that must have looked quite comical, Makoto reluctantly detached his hand from Sousuke’s and stood to his feet with a little wobble. It hadn't felt like that long, but the professionalism of Sousuke's tattoo made Makoto think otherwise. Despite already knowing what the design was, and alrady having a pretty good idea of how it would turn out, Makoto couldn't help but leave his mouth hanging open slightly in awe.

Intricate patterns of black ink were delicately etched eternally into Sousuke's skin, smoothly running over each other, together forming quite an abstract image of an animal. More specifically, a whale shark. Its tail looping neatly and giving the rest of the body a natural-looking angle, a combination of the flowing lines and streamlined fins almost gave the impression that the whale shark had been taken in a freeze frame while it was swimming. 

It was safe to say that Makoto had forgotten all of his worries, and now could feel nothing else but pride and affection as he stood, watching as the final touches and arrangements were made. 

The beauty of Sousuke's tattoo had managed to divert Makoto's attention from the pressing matter of Sousuke saying that they were 'close,' but Makoto remembered the conversation (and his nerves) almost as soon as they stepped out into the cool night air.

Now that the two of them were alone, he probably should've asked something like 'how does it feel?' or 'do you like how it's come out?' Instead, he jumped the gun slightly. 

"Um, so, I was kinda wondering what you meant by, uh, us being close, and stuff..." Goddamit, Makoto, that wasn't well-phrased. 

"What do you mean?" Sousuke replied, which wasn't really surprising, given Makoto's jumble of words. He took a deep breath, deciding to think things over for a moment before saying them, this time. 

"Well, when the tattoo artist asked about us... 'Being close,' you said that we were pretty close... And we are! But, you might've missed the real meaning behind his question, which was... That he was asking us if we were a couple." That was a little better. 

Sousuke remained silent, hands in his jacket pockets as they continued to walk towards their car that was parked nearby. Makoto pretended to be interested in a lamppost as an excuse to hide his furiously blushing face, and tried to steady his breathing as he waited for Sousuke to reply. 

"I realised that." 

Makoto nearly walked into the lamppost. 

"I-I'm sorry?" 

"I knew what he meant, Makoto." Despite not being able to see his face, Makoto knew that Sousuke was grinning, just from the tone of his voice. "I wanted to see how you would react, then I'd be able to tell if you actually wanted to go out with me or not. You didn't really give me much, though, and just sat there zoning out. I wasn't sure whether to take it as a good or bad thing."

Makoto carefully steered himself away from the lamppost, barely able to concentrate on his direction due to how... Unexpected that had been. His thoughts were racing so quickly that he was beginning to get a headache from all of it. Maybe it would be easier if he just stopped reading into things too much, and took a risk for once. His feet stopped moving, his body drawing to a sudden pause as he held his breath and asked a question of his own.

"Are you asking me out, Sousuke?" 

"Maybe. Depends on whether your reaction was good or bad, though." 

"Good! It was good! Really good!" Makoto cried hurriedly, flinching at how loud his voice sounded in his own ears as he desperately tried to regain the ground on Sousuke he had lost with a little jog. His thoughts, finally, were beginning to quieten down, and all he felt now was a sudden desire to get a tattoo. Maybe... An orca? After all, if something this good came out of curious artists and whale tattoos, that must mean something, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. I seem to have made this one quite long. I have SouMako, I get carried away. @.@  
> Anyway, feel free to leave a comment if you have a request! <3


	11. Pretending Is Hard, Part 1 {Soumako}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Kukiwuki on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this is a oneshot book.. But... The request for this was that Sousuke and Makoto end up together because Haru and Rin have started dating, and when planning, the idea kept growing and growing, until... It was obvious that it would be a little too long if it was done in a single oneshot, so it had to be split into three. Apologies, but there's more dorky fluff, so no harm done, right?

It was a bad idea. It was a bad idea that was doomed to end horrifically.

Makoto usually had quite a lot of common sense, which he took pride in, but this particular idea seemed to be an exception. Whether it was Makoto's own selfish desire and heartache that was making his mind clouded, or the tempting offer itself, he had eventually given in and decided to go along with Sousuke's plan. 

The first time the teal-eyed swimmer had suggested it had been when they hardly known each other. It was a few days after Rin and Haru had officially announced their relationship, and after both Sousuke and Makoto had overcome their initial shock, they decided to meet and have a little chat about it. Both were aware of the other's unrequited love that would just become even more agonizing at Rin and Haru's sudden closeness. When Sousuke had offered Makoto lunch at a local café, Makoto had only thought that they would spend an hour or two drowning in their own pits of misery together. What he was not expecting was the calculating, mischievous look on Sousuke's face upon his enter, or the devious plan that followed. 

The two of them would fake a romantic relationship of their own, to spite their bestfriends, get over their own misery, and maybe even try to make Rin and Haru realise what they had been missing. 

Makoto despised the idea at first. Not only would it mean lying to Haru, the one person that Makoto had sworn to himself that he would never deceive, but it also meant that his own friendship with Sousuke had the potential to be ruined. The two of them hadn't really gotten round to talking much before that, and Makoto was only just beginning to get to know the butterfly-swimmer. He didn't want all of that to be based on a vengeful plot to try and get their two friends to break up. He was also well-aware of how much Rin meant to Haru, and to wish for the end of their relationship just seemed wrong, like something a best friend shouldn't feel. However, he couldn't control his emotions, no matter how hard he tried.

Using all of the willpower he possessed, Makoto had declined Sousuke's offer, to which other hadn't seemed that surprised. Instead, after Makoto's stubborn refusal, Sousuke had suggested instead that the four of them spent some time together. It would be good to keep an eye on Rin and Haru, after all. It was obvious that Sousuke was quite protective of Rin, and Makoto couldn't really blame him for that. He did feel the same about Haru. 

Besides, the idea of the four of them spending time together was something that Makoto really fancied doing, so a movie night was arranged. 

It was not pleasant. 

The evening was full of sneaky glances between Rin and Haru, as if they could communicate with eyes alone (something Makoto thought only he could do with Haru,) subtle touches and unsubtle blushing. It was driving Makoto up the wall, and he hated himself for that. It was obvious that Sousuke was struggling too, Makoto could tell from the way he would ball his fists slightly, clench his jaw, or avert his eyes to anywhere apart from the love-struck couple. And Makoto felt sympathy for him, understanding, an emotion that contrasted his previous churning jealousy. 

That was when he decided that the plan might be worth a shot. Even if it failed to create an opening for him and Sousuke to get their shot with the guys of their dreams, it had the potential to be fun while it lasted. It would also provide a distraction from Rin and Haru, which would be very welcome. 

And so, Makoto told Haru about his new 'relationship,' while Sousuke broke the news to Rin. And that was where the chaos started.

Makoto tied up the laces of his shoes with trembling fingers, unable to quell the nerves that had settled in his stomach ever since Sousuke had sent him that panicked text in the morning. Rin wanted them to go on a double date. Which was awful, because it required Makoto to actually pretend to be Sousuke's boyfriend, which would lead to embarrassment, stuttering, blushing, but all in the wrong context. They were doomed. 

On the bright side, Rin had only suggested a walk along the beach in the evening, something quite laid back and relaxed. Not in Makoto's mind. There wasn't much to do when walking along the beach, apart from talk, which was undoubtedly what Rin wanted to do. An interrogation was in store, and Makoto wasn't sure about how well he would be able to handle it, especially with the pressure of Sousuke's own feelings looming over him. If it was just his pride at risk, the ordeal would be slightly less stressful, but because someone else was involved... That just made everything that much more complicated.

Makoto was broken out of his thoughts by a knock at his front door. Despite expecting it, he couldn't help but jump, his heart leaping up to his throat as he stood on shaky legs. His clammy hand grasped the door-handle, and it pulled open to reveal Sousuke standing on his porch. 

At the sight of Sousuke's loose T-shirt, casual jeans, dark hair and teal eyes, Makoto felt another pang of dread, but this one for a completely different reason. 

He had never seen Sousuke in this light, and now Makoto had to admit it, even if he didn't want to. Sousuke was hot. And although he was still head-over-heels for Haru, the thought of having such a good-looking guy flirting with him for an entire night was almost out of the question. 

He knew it was a bad idea. But there was no backing out now.

"G-Good evening, Sousuke," Makoto said, trying to pull off his usual easy-going smile. It was always his last resort in a moment of extreme awkwardness, and never seemed to fail at masking his own discomfort. 

Sousuke's sharp features softened for a moment, and he gave Makoto a slight grin in return. "You ready?" 

With a short nod, Makoto stepped out into the cool night air, revelling in the refreshing breeze that swept over his face. 

"We're meeting them down there, then?" Makoto asked, gently shutting the door behind himself and beginning to lead the way down towards the beach.

"Yeah. It gives us time to plan what we're gonna do, as well," Sousuke replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets and he matched his steps with Makoto's. 

"I think I should just let you know... I'm really not very good when it comes to romance, and things like that," Makoto admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I tend to get flustered pretty easily." 

Sousuke nodded, giving an easy-going shrug. "That's fine. Just follow my lead. We won't do anything too ambitious tonight, probably just hand-holding or something like that." 

The way Sousuke had said it made it seem like a very small, low-key thing, but Makoto's stomach was doing somersaults just thinking about it. 

They used the entirety of the time spent walking down to the beach to plan their relationship's backstory. Sousuke was going to do most of the talking, because Makoto still wasn't sure about how well he'd be able to act under pressure, but they both still needed to have a good idea of what to say in case Rin picked on one of them in particular. It almost made Makoto feel as if he was revising for a test of some sort, which would have been quite amusing to think about, if he hadn't been so nervous.

Rin and Haru were already there when they arrived, staring out towards the ocean together, shoulders brushing as they stood side by side. With the setting sun casting a deep pink light across the horizon, their dark silhouettes created quite a stunning image. Makoto halted in his tracks, tearing his gaze away from his two friends, once again reminded of the sincerity of Rin and Haru's feelings for each other. Was it really alright for him to continue pretending like this? There was no chance they had eyes for anyone else, so what was the point?

It took a light tugging at his sleeve from Sousuke to get him moving again. Teal eyes stared down at him, seeming to swim with an emotion that mirrored Makoto's. Reluctance. What were they doing? 

However, there was no backing out now. Makoto gave a slight nod of his head, as if giving permission for Sousuke to begin their act. And he wasted no time about it.

The hand that had previously been latched onto Makoto's sleeve moved further down to join with Makoto's own hand, giving a soft but reassuring squeeze. Makoto swallowed his nerves and painted a smile on his face, giving a little wave with his free hand when Rin glanced over his shoulder to spot them. 

"Hey, guys!" He called, voice upbeat and excited. He seemed so thrilled about Makoto's 'relationship' with Sousuke, which only served to make Makoto feel even more guilty. 

Haru turned around as well, his face proving to be the polar opposite of Rin's. While the redhead was beaming with enthusiasm, Haru seemed to let off waves of discomfort and irritation as his eyes landed on their intertwined hands. Makoto knew that Haru's negative reaction to Makoto's revelation wasn't for the right reason, the words that his best friend had told him the night before still echoing around in his mind.

'He isn't good enough for you, Makoto.'

It had made Makoto quite disheartened. Haru's expression had melded from initial shock, to concern, and then to a fierce protective glare that had sent a chill down Makoto's spine. Even if he didn't like Sousuke nearly as much as he was pretending to, Haru's hatred for him never failed to disappoint, and Makoto knew that it would take quite a lot for the two of them to get along. He didn't even know their reason for the silent feud, and mentally reminded himself to ask Sousuke about it some time. 

"Oh, look at you two, getting all cosy," Rin said as they arrived, his gaze also resting on their linked hands. Makoto could already feel the heat creeping up into his face, and let his smile turn flustered. After all, who wouldn't be embarrassed after a comment like that?

"Like you can talk, Rin," Sousuke replied playfully, showing no signs of awkwardness. "Besides, Makoto and I didn't come here to be teased." 

"Too bad, that's all you're gonna get." Rin turned and began making his way down the beach. There was a sudden absence of warmth in Makoto's hand as Sousuke pulled away and bent down to undo the laces on his bright red sneakers. Makoto realised with a start that he had a pair just like them at home, and silently gave thanks that he hadn't decided to wear them. 

Once all four of them were bare-foot, they started walking. Sousuke hadn't initiated another hand-holding session (which Makoto couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed about.) Rin began speaking, going on about random little things as they continued on their way, and Makoto decided to admire the view as he listened with half-an-ear.

The sun was still setting steadily, over half of it now buried beneath the horizon. A thin stretch of golden light outlined where water met sky, with the occasional cloud providing a patch of dark grey. The previous pink tint had now evolved into a deeper purple shade, and Makoto knew that it wouldn't be long before he would be able to make out individual stars. The gentle rocking of the waves was soothing to look at, and the abstract noise of water rushing lazily was calming to listen to. The sand was soft beneath his feet, and Makoto felt as though he could lose himself in the therapeutic atmosphere. As much as the ocean terrified him, he also knew how beautiful it could be, and loved that about it. 

"Oi, Makoto." A gentle nudge to his side brought him out of his daydream, and he glanced to his left to see Haru staring at him with a calculating look on his face. Uh oh. That expression never meant good. "Rin asked you a question." 

"O-Oh, sorry, Rin. What is it?" Makoto silently cursed himself for zoning out, and for his light stutter, but made sure that his exterior remained composed.

"That's alright, dude. I was just wondering how long you guys have been going out for, without telling us, that is," Rin said, giving a toothy grin. Makoto hurriedly repeated his conversation with Sousuke earlier in his mind, trying to recall what he had been instructed to answer if he was asked that question. 

"We told you guys pretty much as soon as we started dating. Probably... A few days after," Makoto replied evenly. Rin gave a hum of acknowledgement. 

Makoto glanced over the top of his head to meet Sousuke's gaze, letting out a brief sigh of relief when he was given a nod of approval. 

"So how come you're going out anyway? I want to know all the details!" Rin continued probing. 

"Last time I checked you two had barely spoken to each other," Haru added sullenly, averting his eyes to the sand beneath his feet. Makoto decided to let Sousuke answer that one. 

"We decided to go out and get a coffee one day, and got on pretty well, I guess," Sousuke said indifferently, his gaze trained on Haru as if to try and pick up any physical signs that could lead to jealousy. Unfortunately, he was met with Haru's usual expressionless face, and seemed to deflate slightly, giving Makoto an apologetic look. Makoto replied silently with a smile, hoping that his eyes conveyed the message: 'It's fine.' 

Rin saw this little exchange, and seemed to take it the wrong way.

"Aw, look at you guys, communicating with looks already! You know, I'd never really pictured you together before, but now that I think about it... You two are actually really cute!" 

"Rin..." Sousuke groaned, showing his first sign of embarrassment that night as he brought a hand up to rub his face. Makoto wasn't faring much better, and pursed his lips as he felt heat rush to his cheeks. He was blushing furiously now, but hopefully it would be passed off as an effect of the light patterns created by the still-setting sun.

"No, come on, I'm serious! The more I think about it, the more you two fit together! Like... Sousuke's this big, brooding, intimidating dude that radiates darkness-" 

"Oi." 

"-And Makoto's like a fluffy, over-friendly angel!" 

"H-Huh?" 

Makoto decided to ignore the odd ways in which Rin had just described them, and instead focused on how Haru's lips had upturned slightly. At least he didn't seem to be sulking anymore, which was a good thing. Makoto could take any amount of embarrassment, if it made Haru happy. 

"And Sousuke's awful at directions, he could get lost anywhere. But Makoto's super motherly, so whenever Sousuke gets lost, Makoto will always be able to find him!" 

"Rin, I swear to god-" 

After a lot of embarrassment, teasing, and colourful language from Sousuke, the last sliver of light had vanished beneath the steady waves of the ocean. With a quick glance at his phone, Makoto confirmed the time to be reaching eight-thirty, and they all decided that it would be best to head home. Rin had offered to walk back with Haru, which left Sousuke and Makoto to evaluate and... Well, freak out about what had happened.

"Let's just agree to forget about everything that just happened with Rin, alright?" Sousuke requested as soon as the other two were out of earshot. Makoto gave an eager nod in response, only just beginning to regain his composure and calm down the blood that was roaring in his ears. 

"He was... Well, it was almost admiring, how creative he was being," Makoto admitted, struggling to contain a laugh at Sousuke's indignant expression. 

"He might've been creative, but he was also annoying as heck. If anything, I think our plan kind of backfired. I haven't seen him this excited since he started going out with Nanase in the first place," He sighed, the slightly amused look on his face falling. "How do you think things went for you?"

Makoto bit down on his lip lightly as he thought of his answer. He knew what Sousuke was asking, but wasn't exactly sure how to reply. Haru's feelings and emotions had been blatantly obvious to Makoto all night, but actually speaking them out-loud had the potential to offend Sousuke. 

"Well... He wasn't exactly happy..." Makoto began hesitantly, causing Sousuke to look up abruptly. "But... It wasn't because he was jealous..." He trailed off then, deciding to let Sousuke fill in the blanks for himself. Sure enough, it didn't take very long for Sousuke to reply in a very monotone voice.

"He doesn't want you going out with me, does he." It wasn’t even said as a question.

Makoto flinched slightly, but gave a nod of confirmation. Sousuke let out a low sigh, angling his head towards the ground. 

"Stupid Nanase. Why does he hate me so much?" 

"I've... Actually been meaning to ask the same thing," Makoto said, causing Sousuke to stiffen up. "Back in middle school it seemed like you two got on alright, so what changed?" 

This time it was Sousuke's turn to flinch, which immediately made Makoto feel guilty. "O-Oh, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to! Of course, I respect your privacy, s-so, um..." 

"Remember that joint training session between Iwatobi and Samezuka from ages ago?" Sousuke's tone was wary as he began, which made Makoto wonder what was to come. "Well... I might've... Kind of... Threatened him...? It was pretty low-key, but I was upset because I thought that he was holding Rin back, and I guess my emotions just took over me. I feel pretty bad about it, knowing what the guy's actually like, but haven't really had the nerve to apologise yet." He glanced up, teal eyes cautious as they studied Makoto's face, waiting for his reaction. Everyone knew that Makoto cared about Haru a lot, and to be told that someone had threatened him could end badly.

However, Makoto's only response was to smile. 

"That's alright, Sousuke. I understand what it feels like to be over-protective of someone, so much so that your emotions can overtake your rationality. And... Well, maybe treating him like that wasn't the right thing to do, but at least you realise that what you did was wrong, and that's all the matters." Makoto's grin widened, and he didn't fail to miss the slight redness that stained Sousuke's cheeks as he looked away.

"Thanks for understanding, Makoto." 

The two of them continued walking in silence for a little longer, both lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't uncomfortable, fortunately, and Makoto even found himself enjoying the quiet peacefulness. To be perfectly honest, he had always imagined that he was only capable of having moments like these with Haru, but it seemed that wasn't quite true. 

They reached his house too soon. Makoto found himself reluctant to seperate from Sousuke, although he had no clue why. This entire night had just been a mess of misplaced and confusing emotions.

Speaking of which... Sousuke was due an apology. 

"Sorry if I wasn't very convincing," Makoto said as they came to a halt as the steps leading up to his porch. Sousuke paused, shooting Makoto an unreadable look before giving a smile of his own. 

"It's alright. We probably just need to practice."

Practice? It was funny how such a small, simple word could send Makoto's brain into overdrive. Did 'practice' mean that they were going to keep doing this? He had just assumed that because of their initial failure, the plan would be scrapped and they would both continue with their own seperate lives.

He didn't even have time to reply before Sousuke cleared his throat. 

"Speaking of... Practice... Do you think we should try a... Um... A kiss? You know, just in case we need to do one some time..." He trailed off, although now the question had been said, and was hovering in the air where it could do so much harm. 

Makoto knew it was a bad idea. However, that didn't stop him from giving a mute nod in reply. That didn't stop him from leaning in when Sousuke did.

For some reason, Makoto had imagined Sousuke to be quite a rough kisser. Maybe it was his raw, strong technique when swimming, or his sharp features and personality. He did not expect the gentle touch of Sousuke's lips against his, or the soft, tingling feeling that was left on his cheek as a hand reached up to give it an absentminded stroke. He did not expect the small smile that traced Sousuke's mouth, or the hollow feeling he felt when they pulled away. No, he did not expect any of that. 

"... I think that was pretty good, don't you?" 

All Makoto could do was squeak.

"Well, I won't keep you. Good night, Makoto." 

Another squeak. 

Sousuke let out an amused chuckle under his breath, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned to leave. "I'll text you about Rin's next double date plan."

And with that, Sousuke walked away into the night, leaving Makoto to crumple against his front door and wonder what the hell had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. I made it quite long. And that's only part one.  
> Anyway, feel free to leave a comment if you have a request! <3


	12. Pretending Is Hard, Part 2 {Soumako}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Kukiwuki on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again, part two of this bad boy :3 And it's finally the holidays! So hopefully that means I'll have more time to write! Also, I am aware that this chapter isn't that long (at least, compared to how my usual Soumako ones turn out) and there is a reason for that! I am... Pretty much saving my energy for the third part, which is already all planned and figured out! I'm gonna be putting a lot of work into it, that's for sure. 0.0

Makoto had spent roughly four hours lying in his bed, trying to make sense of his thoughts. Ren and Ran were intrigued as to what had caused their brother to be in such a state of shock, but luckily Makoto's parents had the generosity to give him so alone time, which he desperately needed.

Although the entire night had been way out of Makoto's comfort zone, it shouldn't have affected him this badly. Of course, there was the one detail that happened right at the end which was causing his discomfort - the kiss. And he was well aware that it wasn't that big of a deal. Both he and Sousuke had agreed that it was only for practice, only a little taster of what they might have to do later on to keep their act going and believable. However, despite the meaningless of the kiss, it provoked some feelings in Makoto that he knew shouldn't be there. He was in love with Haru. He had always been in love with Haru. Besides, he had only been friends with Sousuke for a week or two before that fateful night, so it was impossible that the emotion he was experiening could be more than friendship-orientated, right?

He really hoped so, as there was only one summer left in Iwatobi before everyone went their separate ways to university, Tokyo, or other countries altogether. Makoto didn't know what Sousuke was planning to do, since his shoulder injury would eliminate following a career in professional swimming, at least at the moment. 

There was a faint buzzing sound from his bedside table, causing Makoto to shift from his previous ceiling-staring position. His phone screen was alight with a string of messages, the blurry text too far away to read. The only thing Makoto was able to make out was the contact name: Sousuke. 

Surprised that Sousuke was sending him a message so soon after the 'date' (although it had already been a few hours,) Makoto reached over and picked up his phone. Deciding to stick to the safe side at first, he simply scrolled through the texts on his home screen, to scout them out before replying. They were short enough that he didn't have to open the app, and could just read the information from the notifications themselves.

'Rin is ecstatic.' 

'Like, seriously.' 

'He's practically bouncing off the walls.'

'I don't even know what to do.' 

'I'm considering sleeping in Momo and Nitori's room for tonight.' 

Makoto grinned at Sousuke's odd, but informative messages. He could already imagine the situation playing out in his head, and it was enough to make him smile in amusement. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Sousuke would text him about that. All of their previous messages had been concerning their relationship and gameplan only, and they had never talked about anything personal before. And, although this odd little stream couldn't be described as personal, they were more... Friendly and less formal than any other texts they had exchanged before. Could this mean anything? Or was Makoto just over-thinking like he always did?

'By the way, Rin wants us to go on another double date. I'll text you the details about it sometime.' 

And with that, the messages stopped, and Makoto deflated a little. Of course Sousuke had only texted to give more information on their plan. Nothing more, nothing less, he had only become a little side-tracked along the way. 

With tired fingers, Makoto typed out a half-hearted reply, and stuck an emoticon on the end to add some character to his message. After sending it through, he locked his phone and placed it back on his bedside table, crossing his arms over his head at he tried once again to make sense of his muddled thoughts. 

\--------------------

Sure enough, Sousuke had been telling the truth about Rin's excitement. Makoto received an email a few days later from Rin, that the redhead had also forwarded to Haru and Sousuke. This 'date' was set to be quite lowkey, much like their first, and was only a relaxed trip to the cinema to see a movie together. Fortunately, it would mean that with Rin and Haru's attention captured by the film, Makoto and Sousuke wouldn't have to worry about keeping their cringe-worthy act up for too long. Makoto was extremely thankful for this, as he still had little confidence in his abilities.

One of the perks of living in a small, cosy little port town such as Iwatobi was that any building inside was easy enough to access just by walking. Because of this, it had been decided that Makoto and Haru would just walk to the venue themselves, while Sousuke and Rin would catch a train over and meet them there. For the first night, it had felt as if Rin was in a state of disbelief, and almost needed to see it with his own eyes before he could believe that Sousuke and Makoto were dating, so they had felt pressured into arriving together. However, there was no reason for any of that now, so Makoto could look forward to a leisurely evening walk with his best friend.

Unfortunately, Haru seemed to be in the mood for an interrogation. 

"I still don't understand, Makoto," He spoke in his usual flat tone. Makoto glanced away, not wanting to meet Haru's eyes. He knew that there was no way he would be able to lie to Haru, at least, not straight to his face.

"What don't you understand, Haru?" Makoto asked, despite knowing full-well what their conversation topic was about. He kept his gaze on the pavement in front of under his feet, pretending to be fascinated by the weeds growing up from the little cracks. 

"Why him? Why Yamazaki?" 

At those words, Makoto decided to spare a glance at his best friend. Haru's brow was furrowed slightly, his mouth downturned into a frown that Makoto could immediately recognise as confused. His thoughts played back to his conversation with Sousuke the other night, where he had found out the reason behind Haru's grudge. It may have been because he had only heard Sousuke's side of the story so far, but something made Makoto want to defend him. At that moment, he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"No offense, Haru, but... How much do you really know about Sousuke?" 

His question rang out in the air. Haru's gaze hardened and his lips tightened into a grimace, but he didn't say anything else. Makoto took this as a good sign. 

"Besides, he's Rin's best friend. And Rin is a good judge of character, so... Has it occurred to you that maybe you just need to get to know Sousuke a little better? Then maybe you'll be able to understand him," Makoto chose his words carefully, making sure not to hint at his true knowledge. In the end, Haru's problems with Sousuke weren't any of his business, whether he liked it or not. 

Haru didn't reply to that, and Makoto wasn't sure if he had the energy to keep talking, so they lapsed into one of their usual silences, both immersing themselves in their own thoughts. Makoto, for once, had no clue what Haru was thinking. And despite only being a few feet away from each other, Makoto had never felt so far away from his best friend. Even in the short (but torturous) period of time when the two weren't speaking, Makoto still understood why Haru was upset and stressed. But now... He really didn't know. 

He had put up his best argument in Sousuke's defence, and he wasn't even sure why he did it. There was a small part of him that felt resentment towards Haru, as he suspected that the main cause of Haru's disapproval of their relationship was for his own reasons, not because he was over-protective of Makoto. And, if the situation ever arose that Makoto wanted to date someone that Haru didn't like, would everything play out as it was now? Makoto was allowed to be with who he wanted, it was his choice. 

That thought made Makoto falter. Another problem. A worry that he hadn't felt at first, but was beginning to recognise. The longer his fake relationship with Sousuke went on, the more the illusion that they were actually a couple would drill itself into Makoto's mind. He was even beginning to think like a boyfriend now, not like a partner-in-crime, as he should.

He really didn't know what to do anymore. 

However, there was one thing that he was sure of. Despite all of the confusing emotions Makoto was feeling at the moment, he was certain that Sousuke was a good person, and someone that he would want to spend more time with. Whatever happened next, he wanted Sousuke to remain as one of his closest friends. And with Haru maintaining the role of best friend, it would be quite hard to be close with the both of them if neither of them got on with each other. So, Makoto now had something to concentrate on in this double-date. 

As the two of them walked up to the cinema, Makoto had decided on how he was going to go about his little plan. Even if Haru didn't love him in the way that he wanted him to, Makoto did know that he cared. Hopefully, if Makoto showed enough fondness to Sousuke, Haru would learn to accept their relationship, for Makoto's sake. 

So, when Sousuke and Rin came into sight, Makoto immediately made his way over to his 'boyfriend,' and brushed their shoulders together softly. It was a small, subtle action that caused a tingling feeling to rush over his entire body, which he pushed to the back of his mind and replaced with one of his trade-mark smiles. He could feel Haru's calculating eyes staring at him, but concentrated on keeping his own gaze on Sousuke, who was looking completely started, and slightly flustered, at Makoto's sudden adventurousness.

Luckily, Sousuke seemed to regain his composure quickly, and brought one of his arms up to wrap around Makoto's waist. Again, Makoto was forced to keep his own embarrassment at bay, already feeling slightly more confident at the way their actions had rubbed off on each other to create what was hopefully a believable performance. 

"Since you two seem to be extra clingy today," Rin spoke teasingly, breaking Makoto out of his small daydream, "You can buy the snacks while Haru and I get the tickets." 

"Sure it isn't just because you want some alone time with your boyfriend yourself, Rin?" Sousuke shot back with a smirk, causing Rin to let out an irritated mumble as he gave Sousuke a light shove. 

Haru, completely unfazed by their playful bickering, stepped forward to take Rin's hand in his and drag him, blushing furiously, off towards the ticket booth. Makoto gave a light chuckle at their antics despite himself, but soon lapsed back into an awkward silence when he felt Sousuke's arm tighten around his waist.

"Well, you seemed a lot more into it there," Sousuke commented, grinning as his words made Makoto even more red-faced. "Did something happen?" 

Makoto decided not to mention the little chat that he'd had with Haru on the way there, as it seemed to have made Sousuke quite uncomfortable last time, and instead gave a light shrug. 

"I just thought we needed to be a little more convincing, is all," Makoto replied evenly, detaching himself from Sousuke’s hold and turning so that they were face-to-face. This proved to be a mistake, as Makoto's eyes were immediately drawn to Sousuke's lips, which was probably a side-effect from the kiss that they had shared the other night, and succeeded in making him even more embarrassed and on-edge. What if they had to do it again here? Makoto had told himself that he would be more forward, but could he really kiss Sousuke again? Especially in front of Rin and Haru. What if he messed up, or-

"We should probably get the snacks. Rin would be pissed if we showed up empty-handed," Sousuke said, breaking through Makoto's thoughts as he began heading over to the food area. Makoto nodded and followed quietly, once again pushing his worries to the back of his mind. 

After purchasing some cheap candy from the till, they reunited with Rin and Haru and made their way into the cinema. It wasn't the most technologically-advanced screen out there, but Makoto had watched every newly-released film in this place, and it was always a familiar experience. 

They made their way to their assigned seats, squinting in the dim light of the room. It wasn't too busy, the few people already inside providing little chatter. Thankfully, Rin seemed to have run out of questions for Makoto about his relationship with Sousuke, that or he had interrogated Sousuke on it when they were alone, so Makoto didn't have to worry to much about that particular issue anymore.

And, to make things even better, Rin descended into tears about halfway through the movie, meaning he would be completely unaware of anything that was happening around him for the rest of the film. The only problem left now was Haru, who, despite the loud noises and heavy plot laid out on the screen in front of him, seemed oddly disinterested in it. Makoto knew that he would still be keeping a watchful eye on him and Sousuke, and he almost felt as if it were some sort of exam or test that he was required to pass. He was also paying hardly any attention to the movie, mind locked on the steadily building tension. It must have been quite comical, really, especially with Rin balling his eyes out on Haru's other side. 

Deciding that Haru's watchful gaze seemed to be waiting for something, Makoto made his move. And although he wanted to be obvious enough that Haru would notice, his polite conscience chipped in and stopped him from doing anything too extravagant, such as speaking, so he was refined to silent contact only. 

With a not-so-subtle stretch, Makoto moved one of his hands forward to land on the armrest that was positioned between him and Sousuke. Knowing the other's sharp eyes and good awareness, it wouldn't be long before Sousuke caught onto what Makoto was trying to do. 

Sure enough, almost immediately, familiar fingers intertwined themselves with Makoto's, giving them a light squeeze, as if a congratulating him for his bravery. Makoto really needed it, as he was struggling not to keel over and die from embarrassment right then and there. Sparing a glance to his left where Haru was sitting, Makoto noticed with a start that his best friend was no longer watching them, but instead had his gaze transfixed on the big screen, an unreadable expression on his face. 

Not sure whether to take it as a good or bad sign, Makoto also turned to face the movie, realising with slight sheepishness that he had absolutely no clue as to what was going on. The storyline seemed quite complicated, and he didn't know any of the character names.

Makoto knew that Haru was no longer paying attention to him and Sousuke, and that it was safe to stop holding hands. However, something stopped him from releasing his grip, and instead he gave a slight squeeze back. 

\--------------------

After waiting for the credits to finish rolling, and for Rin to stop sobbing, the four finally made it back out into the cooling night air. Makoto was grateful for the breeze, as by the end the cinema had become a bit stuffy, and he was still feeling slightly flustered from the fact that he and Sousuke had held hands for almost an hour straight.

Haru hadn't spoken a word since, and Makoto was beginning to get nervous. What conversation was awaiting their walk home together? Would there even be a conversation? Was Haru going to punish him with silent treatment? Makoto wasn't sure if he could take that. 

"Well, we'd better get going," Rin said, drying his watery eyes one more time with his sleeve. "This was really cool, though, we should do it again some time." 

"Maybe not a drama, though," Sousuke added, giving Rin an amused grin. "A comedy would work out better."

"I think Rin would still cry at that," Haru spoke, surprising both Makoto and Sousuke. Rin was too offended to care, but it felt as though there was some sort of hidden meaning behind Haru's statement. Although he and Sousuke may only have teamed up to terrorize Rin together, Haru had agreed with Sousuke for the first time since they had met.

Makoto smiled, the hopeful feeling that he had developed in the movie beginning to increase. This was definitely a good sign. 

"Anyway, we'll miss our train back to Samezuka if we don't hurry up," Sousuke said, seeming to be able to overcome the initial shock first. "Goodnight, Makoto." And before Makoto could react, Sousuke was leaning forward and there was a light kiss pressed to his cheek, sending shivers throughout his body and a blush to his face. 

"Nanase." A short nod from both, but filled with respect. If Makoto wasn't dying, he probably would have been thrilled at the small interaction between his best friend and boyfriend. 

There it was. That word again. 'Boyfriend.' It was beginning to feel more and more normal, no longer an acting role.

It wasn't until Sousuke and Rin had headed off, and Haru gave him a slight nudge in the direction of their homes that Makoto was able to move. Only ten minutes. Ten minutes of walking until Makoto would be in the safety of his house, and could scream into his pillow and hide under his blanket until his embarrassment wore off. Ten minutes. 

"Makoto..." Haru's tone was guarded, and Makoto knew that whatever he was about to say was going to be important. "About you and Yamazaki..." 

Here it comes.

"I was judging him based off of my own experiences. You were right, I didn't know what he could be like when he was with someone that he could tolerate." 

"I'm sure he can tolerate you, Haru-" 

"Maybe he can now, but when things were slightly... Hostile between us, I just thought that he was like that with everyone," Haru interrupted. Makoto decided to keep quiet, as it was rare for Haru to say so much in such a short amount of time, and he was liking where this conversation was going. "Anyway, he seems like a good guy. I see that now. And... You seem to really like him. He obviously likes you too. I don't want to get in the way of that." 

Makoto paused for a second, waiting to see if Haru was finished. When the silence lapsed on for a little longer than normal, he felt his lips twist up in a smile, one so effortless and natural that it almost didn't feel real. 

"Thank you, Haru-chan. Really, you... That means a lot." 

"You don't need my permission on who to date. And drop the '-chan.'" And with that dismissive gesture, Haru ended their conversation, allowing Makoto to be alone with his thoughts for the rest of the journey back.

And Makoto was experiencing a lot of them. However, instead of the panicked, worried, flustered, uncomfortable ones that had been dominating his mind for the past week, he felt nothing but a peaceful warmth. Almost unconsciously, he raised a hand to rub against the spot on his cheek where Sousuke had kissed him, the skin still feeling tingly. 

That was when he realised.

All of the signs had been adding up, all of the unexplained emotions he had felt, all of the unknown reasons he had done things. Like... the odd sensation when Sousuke kissed him, the one of surprise, but something else was there too, something unfamiliar. Why he had leapt to Sousuke's defence without a second thought, in a dispute with Haru of all people, his best friend, and he had blindly sided with someone he hardly knew. Keeping his hand linked with Sousuke's in the cinema, despite knowing that Haru's attention was no longer on them, and it was completely pointless, except for one reason. Haru, the person who knew him better than anyone else in the world hadn't been able to see through the act. 

Because it wasn't an act. Makoto had been falling for Sousuke the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I faced a slight case of writer's block with this one ;-; But I knuckled down and got it finished in the end, even if it did come out a day late :3 Anyway, feel free to leave a comment if you have a request <3


	13. Pretending Is Hard, Part 3 {Soumako}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Kukiwuki on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bounces off wall* this is so late, I was away for a week for holidays and my friend slept over pretty much everyday, so apologies for that >.< But here it is, the final part of Pretending Is Hard! This chapter is... An interesting one, I guess, because it's pretty much recounting stuff that happened in the canon universe, with some divergence at the end... But I don't know if you could call it recounting, because there are different characters in it this time... I guess it's an AU? XD
> 
> [Spoilers for Free! Take Your Marks}
> 
> Also, I know that in the original, everyone sleeps in the same room, but I changed that up a little here for plot purposes XD

Makoto thought he was a good person. He helped his parents with chores around the house, gave the occasional piece of his meal to the twins, studied, and committed to his tasks as captain of the swim team. Yes, he had deceived his best friend because of his own jealousy, but was that really worth the amount of suffering he was about to go through? The universe just seemed to hate him, and Makoto didn't even think he was being overdramatic. 

After finally admitting to himself that he had developed a crush on Sousuke, Makoto had weighed out his options. His usual choice in a matter like this would be to confide in Haru, but given his current situation, that wasn't the best idea. He could always go to someone like Rei, Nagisa or Gou, but he didn't want to burden them with a problem that didn't involve them directly. Rin and Sousuke, of course, were completely out of the question. 

And so, Makoto was left alone to deicde what to do with his little problem, and eventually came to a conclusion. It was a cowardly, pathetic conclusion, but at least he wasn't feeling as lost as he did before. He was simply going to try and avoid Sousuke at all costs, politely turning down any offers for double-dates that Rin proposed.

It hurt, but he had no way of knowing what would happen if he did go on another date, especially with his newfound knowledge. He had been fairly embarrassed about acting like Sousuke's boyfriend before, but it would just be unbearable now, especially with the added weight of Sousuke's crush on Rin. So, really, he was at a dead end, and the best thing for both of them would be if he just stayed away. Besides, the original plan stated that if all failed, they would 'break up' because of the stress of their long-distance relationship, with Makoto in Tokyo and Sousuke staying in Iwatobi. So, they would do that, and Makoto would never have to worry about Sousuke's incredibly handsome face again. 

However, as mentioned before, the universe just seemed to hate him, as Rin had suggested one more idea for a double date. A trip to Anaga Onsen, courtesy of Momo and Nitori, who had given two tickets to Rin and Sousuke as a farewell gift. Rin's mother also happened to have a pair that she had received from a newspaper, and Rin thought that it was a great idea to give said tickets to Haru and Makoto. And, to be fair, it was a great idea, excluding Makoto's existential crisis. Unfortunately, this one was far harder to turn down, as Makoto knew that if he refused, Haru would turn down Rin's offer as well, and he would feel awful if he was the reason that his best friend didn't get to enjoy what sounded like a wonderful experience with his boyfriend. 

So, Makoto accepted, and prayed that he would make it through the next few days alive.

\--------------------

The town itself was beautiful. It reminded Makoto a lot of Iwatobi, with the glistening ocean so nearby, and the sunlight that outlined everything under its bright gaze. Everyone seemed so relaxed, and it was nearly enough to completely wipe the persistent worries from Makoto's mind.

Luckily, Rin, Haru and Sousuke didn't seem to be aware of his internal panic. This trip seemed to be viewed as less of a double-date, like their previous meetups, and more of a friendly, farewell get together for them before everyone went their separate ways. Makoto was relieved about this, as he had hoped that he would be able to continue avoiding Sousuke without looking too suspicious. It would be easy enough to just hang around Haru, or engage in a conversation with Rin without having to spend anytime alone with the taller male. Unfortunately, this seemed to be wishful thinking, as Rin revealed with a delighted grin that the hotel room he had chosen for the four of them had two bedrooms, to be shared by the 'couples.' 

He was dreading the evening, but didn't want to let that spoil everyone's day out in town. After all, he was probably just worrying about nothing, and he and Sousuke would fall asleep without any embarrassing conversation. Either way, he was nervous, but chose not to let it show as they explored the town.

The day began with a trip to a nearby marketplace, which sold many souvenirs and quirky objects with the town's symbols on. The one that stood out the most to everyone was the compact stall that sold cute little onsen Manju with the trademark capybara pasted on its front. The boys had purchased a box of them without much discussion, Rin buying one extra for Momo because apparently Momo was 'oddly obsessed with capybaras.' 

Later on they came across some shallow outdoor spring baths, and ended up spending a good half hour or so there with their trousers rolled up, feet dipped into the relaxing water. Idle chatter was made, nothing too deep or embarrassing, generally composed of plans for the future or views of the town and resort so far. Makoto tried to partake in the conversation as much as he could, although the annoying worries that refused to leave him alone just kept buzzing around the back of his mind, making it hard to act himself. 

The highlight of Makoto’s day, as stupid and predictable as it sounded, was the cat. It was no mystery to anyone that Makoto adored cats - he adored all animals, but cats especially - and when they came across a domestic-looking tabby lounging on a nearby wall, Makoto just had to request that they stopped exploring for a few minutes so he could pet it. Rin also wanted to join in on the cat bonding session, but the feline didn't seem to like him as much, and pranced off with its tail held high in the air as soon as he approached. Both Sousuke and Makoto had let out a soft chuckle at that, causing Makoto to become quite flustered, while Haru placed an comforting, albeit amused hand on Rin's shoulder.

Makoto's short-lasted comfort was broken when they came across a 'perfect photo opportunity' in Rin's words. In reality, it was quite an embarrassing background of a cartoon capybara putting an arm around two people with holes as their heads, presumably so tourists could put their own heads in and take a photo. All three were sitting in a spring bath. 

It took a lot of begging from Rin to convince the other three to go in. Makoto had also suggested that Rin and Sousuke took the photo together, as they were best friends, while in reality he just didn't want to have to be anywhere alone with Sousuke at that moment.

His picture with Haru went well, although when looking at it, Makoto noticed that his smile looked quite forced, while Haru wasn't smiling at all. That didn't really come as a surprise, though, and Makoto wondered whether he should have made more of an effort to get Haru smiling for the photo. 

"Yamazaki, you're too stiff," Haru called over as Rin and Sousuke got into their positions. 

"Tch, as if you can talk," Sousuke replied sullenly, causing Makoto to give a small, fond smile as he held Rin's phone higher to get a better angle. 

Just as his finger was going down to press the button, something quite surprising happened. Sousuke began laughing. It was unlike anything Makoto had ever heard before, so much more than the usual quiet chuckles that he usually heard from Sousuke. He recognised this laugh immediately, and ironically, the reason was Haru. This triggered a little flashback to when he, Nagisa, Rei and Rin had tried getting Haru to laugh by tickling him, and he had burst into a fit that was very similar to what Sousuke was suffering from now. A quick glance at Rin confirmed Makoto’s suspicions, as the Rin's photogenic smile had turned into something a little more evil. 

Makoto snapped the picture quickly, not wanting the moment to pass without getting a good photo. Rin would be angry if he went through all of the effort of tickling Sousuke without a reward, after all. 

Looking back over at the photo he took while waiting for Sousuke and Rin to stop play-fighting, Makoto realised something. Sousuke looked happy. He looked really, really happy. Whenever he was alone with Sousuke, the other just looked tense, as if there was something on his mind that he just couldn't talk about. Makoto felt awful for the burning jealousy that arose with that thought, he had no right to be upset if Sousuke didn't enjoy his company as much as he did Rin's. They were best friends, and Sousuke loved Rin. Nobody could help who they loved, Makoto knew this better than anybody. 

That was when he decided that he needed to end things with Sousuke, once and for all. It was getting too painful, and it was obvious by now that Rin and Haru weren't going to budge. Their plan had failed, and continuing to play around as they were now would only cause more pain for both of them. 

His chance arose roughly an hour later, as the sun had begun to set and they were debating on heading back to their room. Rin had just dragged Haru off to another photogenic area for them to take a picture. Meanwhile, Sousuke had wanted to buy a gift for his older cousin, who was allowing him to stay at his once he moved out of the Samezuka dorm rooms. Because of this, Rin had asked Makoto to stay with Sousuke for the sole reason of keeping the other from getting lost, much to his indignation. If that had been requested a few hours ago, Makoto probably would've thought up a half-hearted excuse to avoid the situation, but now he was more than eager to have that alone time with Sousuke. It would also be good to get a souvenir for Ran and Ren.

After purchasing a few packets of very colourful, traditional candy, Makoto headed out of the shop to reunite with Sousuke, who miraculously hadn't gotten lost on his way there. The little garden area that Rin and Haru had vanished into minutes before stood just to their left, and Makoto had no way of telling when they would be finished. It was best to just talk to Sousuke now, he figured, just in case he ran out of time later. 

"Um... Sousuke..." He began slowly, struggling to find the right words. He had decided that he would break things off, but hadn't exactly figured out how, which was proving to be a slight mistake on his half. Sousuke turned to glance at him, a look akin to surprise on his face. It took Makoto a few seconds to realise that this was probably the first time he had talked to Sousuke properly since the double-date to the cinema, and suddenly felt slightly guilty. One of the things that he had promised himself about this entire fake relationship was that it wouldn't get in the way of his friendship with Sousuke, but he had let that happen nonetheless.

"I think we should stop acting now..." Makoto felt his voice falter, and begged himself to keep his composure. It had been easy enough to make the final decision, but was harder to carry out than he had expected. He glanced away, wanting nothing more than to run away and hide, like he did when faced with most things that scared him. 

"Why?" Sousuke asked after a moment of silence. Makoto looked up in surprise, meeting Sousuke's puzzled gaze. The other generally looked confused, his lips twisted down into a small frown and teal eyes narrowed slightly. Makoto cursed himself, realising how unprepared he was for this. In his head, he had just imagined Sousuke agreeing without a second thought, and the two of them would never have to talk about their fake relationship ever again. 

"W-Well, um... I-I'm pretty sure Rin and Haru are happy as they are, s-so it would be slightly pointless to carry on, right? Summer's nearly over, anyway, so we would have to end it eventually... I g-guess I just thought now would be a good time to do it..." He managed to stammer out, trying to form sentences from the top of his head, something he found that he wasn't usually good at. Fortunately, his reasoning seemed to win over Sousuke, a series of unreadable expressions passing over his face before he turned away from Makoto with a neutral and disinterested look. 

"Yeah, you're probably right. We'll tell the others tonight." 

And then a silence followed. Makoto felt relief wash over him, the deed finally done, although there was also an odd sense of disappointment settling in his stomach. It was almost underwhelming, that something which occupied his thoughts and his life so dramatically could end within a few words and a shared agreement. But really... Was it an agreement? Sousuke seemed content enough, but Makoto had no idea what to think. Truthfully, ever since they had kissed, Makoto's emotions and thoughts had been completely out of his control, and he hoped that finally ending things would bring him comfort. However... The empty feeling that he recieved instead was the opposite of what he wanted. 

"U-Um... So, we're friends, right?" He spoke without thinking, cursing how his voice became high-pitched at the end of his question. It was a perfectly normal thing to say, so why did it feel so difficult? 

Sousuke turned to face Makoto again, his expression relaxed before turning up into one of his familiar crooked smiles that he reserved only for a few people. For a second, Makoto forgot how to breathe. "Yeah. Friends."

\--------------------

Makoto was confused. He had done everything that he thought was right, had given up his fake relationship with Sousuke which was causing him so much distress, and had saved their friendship. So why did he still feel so restless? His only problem now should have been Rin's reaction when he found out the truth (as although Haru was able to tolerate Sousuke, that didn't necessarily mean they were friends.) But he still felt as though something was wrong, and it was driving him crazy. 

"Aw, man, this was great," Rin sighed contentedly, melting back into one of the hotel room's sofas. 

"It really was," Makoto agreed with a smile, leaning against the cushions behind him. "Thank you so much for inviting us along, Rin, Sousuke." Haru gave a small nod as if to agree with Makoto's statement. 

"Yeah, well, it's really Momo and Ai that we have to thank for all this," Sousuke shrugged, then added, "Rin's mum, too. It's a pretty big coincidence that she had two tickets for the same place, but... A good one nonetheless." 

Rin nodded eagerly, sitting forward slightly. "Definitely. Honestly, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my last summer here than with my best friends." 

"Don't say it's your last summer," Haru said stubbornly, "You'll be back." 

"Of course I will!" Rin exclaimed, giving his boyfriend a playful nudge with his shoulder. "But... I will be an entire ocean away from you guys, so... I dunno, it just feels nice to spend this time together before I leave." 

They lapsed into a silence, each person content with their own thoughts. The sun had long since gone down, and time was flowing quickly. They’d already had their trip to the famous spring baths, and had returned to the room feeling refreshed, and slightly exhausted. Makoto didn't want it to end, despite the little twinge of pain that he felt in his heart every time he was around Sousuke, because he had come to get used to it. This pain was actually quite nice.

"It's going to be lonely when you leave, Rin," Sousuke said absentmindedly, picking at the armrest of the sofa.

"You're going to make him cry, Yamazaki." 

"Shut up, Haru, I'm not gonna cry!" Rin cried heatedly, before relaxing slightly to shoot his best friend a playful look. "Besides, Sou, you have your boyfriend to keep you company." 

Both Makoto and Sousuke stiffened slightly at this. Throughout the entire afternoon and evening following their little chat, they hadn't found the right moment - or courage - to come clean about their little trick. However, now that it was just the four of them, it seemed like it was time. 

"Yeah, um, about that..." Sousuke began, exchanging a nervous look with Makoto. Neither of them had discussed how they would actually break the news, as their reasoning for it was... Well, it wouldn't sound very good out loud. They would be directly confessing that they love, or in Makoto's case, loved, their best friends. Not only would it completely ruin the mood, there was no telling the damage it would do to their friendships in the future. 

"What's up? Trouble in paradise?" Rin leaned forward, a concerned look passing over his face. Makoto was painfully aware of Haru's gaze studying him, clearing trying to read where Makoto and Sousuke were going with this. 

"We faked it." 

"S-Sousuke!" Makoto's cry came out as a high-pitched squeal, but he didn't have the ability to feel embarrassed about that now, because there was a far more pressing matter at hand. Sousuke had just revealed their secret in the bluntest, most insensitive way. "What Sousuke means is, um, that we actually aren't, er, weren't dating at all, we were only pretending to because, um, it felt kinda awkward when the four of us would hang out so we kinda wanted to make that better, but couldn't really think of how to do it so we just decided to fake a relationship and-" Makoto paused for a breath, "-we're really sorry about that but we didn't know what to do afterwards because, Rin, you were so excited for us and it felt really horrible to just cut it off straight away, but we were going to break it off at the end of the summer anyway so we thought that we might as well do it now, so that's why we're telling you, and, um... We're really sorry."

By the time Makoto had finished rambling, his blush had increased by a tenfold, Sousuke looked as if he wanted to sink into the ground itself, Rin seemed to have deflated, and Haru had gone suspiciously still. 

"Yeah, uh... What Makoto said," Sousuke added feebly, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner as he watched nervously for the others' reactions, Makoto doing the same but with a slightly more terrified look on his face. 

"Wait... So you faked your entire relationship...?" Rin said slowly, as if needing to say the words out-loud to believe them himself. 

"Everything was... faked?" Haru said in his usual flat tone, although it sounded more breathy than usual. Makoto looked up to meet his best friend's eyes for the first time since his confession and was surprised by the emotions that he found lurking behind Haru’s blue orbs. A lot of shock, as expected, but also a slightly more unexpected emotion. Betrayal. Makoto had known Rin would be displeased, but definitely not Haru. And while he hadn't been imagining that Haru would start jumping for joy, the last thing that he had been expecting was how distraught Haru was. It couldn't be... Haru couldn't have figured out the true meaning behind Makoto's plan with Sousuke, could he? Just the thought made Makoto feel nauseous. 

"Dang it!" Rin groaned, rubbing his temple, suddenly looking a lot older than he was. "You guys were so cute, as well! Ugh, you got me all excited for nothing..." He trailed off, lips forming a small pout as scarlet eyes glanced up with a chastising glint to them. 

"We're sorry..." Makoto repeated meekly, glancing down to the floor again. The amount of guilt weighing on his shoulders was unbearable, and Sousuke didn't seem to be doing much better. 

"I mean... I suppose you had good intentions, but... Dang..." Rin let out an over-dramatic sigh, "Well, thanks for telling us in person, anyway, and not leaving it until I was in Australia. You have no idea how pissed I would be if Sousuke suddenly texted me there saying 'it was all fake' like he just did. At least Makoto actually gave reasons for it, but Sou, trust me, if you just left it at that, I would have caught the next plane over and strangled you myself." 

Makoto's lips twisted up into a small smile, relieved that Rin didn't seem too disappointed, and was already back to making jokes. At least, Makoto was pretty sure that Rin was joking. He glanced up to see how Haru was coping, and was grateful to see the his previous look had been replaced by his familiar neutral expression. However, his eyes did tell one unvoiced message of 'I need to talk to you.' Makoto gulped in anticipation, although he had been expecting it.

"Well, anyway, I'm exhausted. Is it alright if I head to bed?" Rin said after a moment's silence, slowly getting to his feet. 

"Yeah... We have an early train to catch tomorrow," Sousuke agreed, also rising from the couch. His teal-eyed gaze fell to the table in front of them, where four empty glasses that had once been filled with water still sat. "Ah." 

Makoto noticed his gaze, and gave a small smile. "I can clear these up, they shouldn't take long. You guys can go to bed."

"Despite deceiving me, Makoto, I'm still convinced you're an angel. Thanks," Rin responded with a yawn, laying a friendly hand on Makoto's shoulder for a second before heading off. Sousuke followed soon after, eyes flickering momentarily from Haru, who still hadn't budged from his position on the sofa, and Makoto. Their gazes met for a moment, Sousuke's seeming to read 'good luck,' before he also left the room. 

That left just Haru, Makoto, and four empty water-glasses needing to be put away. 

"Alright, Haru, what did you want to talk about?" Makoto asked, turning away from his best friend as he picked up the small glasses in his arms. It would be best not to be in eye-contact with Haru throughout the conversation, due to the annoying fact that he always seemed to be able to tell what Makoto was thinking when that happened. 

Haru stood up quietly, padding over to join Makoto at the sink without a word. He watched as Makoto ran one of the glasses under a tap, then held out one of his hands, grabbing a towel from the rack nearby. Makoto gave a thankful smile and handed the wet and soapy glass over to Haru, who dried it efficiently. They continued like that, silently finishing their chore, conversing with small glances and light touches. Makoto savoured every moment of it, as although his romantic feelings for Haru had been replaced for whatever he felt for Sousuke, he still loved Haru as his best friend. 

Makoto turned off the tap, therefore cutting off the last source of noise in the small kitchen, reducing everything to a pure, raw silence.

"I know you love him, Makoto." 

Just six words. That's all it took for Makoto to realise why everything had felt so wrong, why nothing had become perfect after he ended his 'relationship' with Sousuke. He was in love, something that could be described as the strongest force in the universe. Love wasn't something that went away easily, it couldn't just vanish within hours, days, weeks, possibly even months.

Makoto felt all of the built-up tension leave his body as his shoulders slumped, eyes downcast. Haru knew his problem now. Haru would help him. Everything would be alright. 

"I... Thought it was odd, when you told me the truth," Haru continued, seeming to sense that Makoto was in no condition to say anything yet. "You really made me believe your relationship, both you and him. Obviously I don't know Yamazaki as well as I know you, but... I really thought that you two cared about each other. I was happy for you. And when I found out that all of that was just... An act, that all you were doing was pretending, I didn't know what to think. You had be completely fooled." 

Makoto thought back to Haru's initial reaction to the news, how his expression had been so shocked, so hurt. It reminded him painfully of the time at the firework display, when he had first revealed his plans to go to Tokyo. It was an expression that he hated, one that he never wanted to see on Haru's face again. 

"But then I thought... What if you weren't pretending? And all it took was one look at you to realise that I was right. Rin was too busy crying to notice, and Yamazaki is as dense as a rock, but you looked distraught," Haru said, turning his head to the side slightly. "I don't like it when Makoto is upset." 

"Haru…" 

"You should tell him." 

"H-Huh?!?" Makoto clasped his hand to his mouth to try and stop the shriek that left him, but to no avail. Haru's eyes flashed with something similar to amusement, before he turned to stare at the wall opposite him again.

"Just tell him. Honestly. It will do no good holding back, and all that you're getting from it is pain. It's self-destructive." 

"But... Haru, I-I can't just tell him, he-" Makoto managed to cut himself off before revealing Sousuke's secret crush on Rin, and managed to save it with a mumbled, "He doesn't like me in that way." 

Haru gave a thoughtful hum, tilting his head to the side slightly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. As I said before, I don't know Yamazaki very well, but I am usually a good judge of character. That's why I don't have many friends." 

Makoto let out a light chuckle at that, despite the nerves that were gradually building up in his stomach. Haru's lips pulled into a light smile, his eyes sparkling softly in the low lighting. 

"Just promise me that you'll tell him, Makoto. I don't like seeing you sad." 

"I..." Makoto trailed off, his gaze leaving Haru's face to study the sink instead. Part of him wanted to believe what Haru was implying, that if he just told Sousuke about his true feelings, all of the mounted stress would disappear. However, there was also the concern of Sousuke turning him down, and Makoto didn't know if he'd be able to take that. Despite knowing that Sousuke was a good person, and would do his best not to hurt Makoto's feelings, the damage would still have been done. But... After the summer ended, the chances were that Makoto would never speak to Sousuke again. They no longer had Rin as a connection, and would be in completely different areas. Whereas, if Makoto did confess and somehow manage to get Sousuke's interest, then they would have an excuse to keep in touch. Just the thought of that made Makoto feel giddy with excitement, as by then he had already accepted that he would lose contact with Sousuke after they parted. It was the faint, uncertain promise of a different future that pushed Makoto to the edge. 

"I promise, Haru-chan." 

Haru gave a light huff of satisfaction, before turning on his heel and making his way to the door of his shared room with Rin. "Good. And drop the 'chan.'" 

And with that, he lightly slid open the door and entered, leaving Makoto alone. But not for long. 

Thankful for his long legs, Makoto covered the distance between himself and his own room within seconds, not wanting time to leave him nervous and hesitant. It was better to do things quickly, before the logical side of him took control and talked him out of it, as he knew it would.

So, taking a deep breath, Makoto tightened his shaking hand around the small indent in the door, and slid it open, fully prepared to come clean about his feelings...

And was met by a fast-asleep Sousuke. 

Feeling his heart drop to his feet, Makoto halted in the doorway, the thin beam of light from outside streaming in to give a small amount of brightness to the room, allowing Makoto a full view of Sousuke's face. He didn't think it was possible for anyone to look so peaceful. Sousuke's eyes were closed lightly, eyebrows relaxed, which looked almost alien on his face that seemed to be stuck in its ever-persistent frown. The lower half of his face was buried in the blanket which was tucked right up to his nose, dark strands of hair falling over his features as deep, slow breaths filled the room. 

Makoto couldn't confess now. Not when Sousuke was like this. He couldn't plague him with the burdens of his stupid feelings, at least, not at the moment. 

Making another silent promise to both himself and Haru, Makoto quietly slid the door closed behind him.

\--------------------

They left the hotel room. Makoto had not said anything.

They got on the train. Makoto had not said anything.

They made it back to Iwatobi. Makoto had not said anything. 

They said goodbye. Makoto had not said anything. 

Days passed. Makoto had not said anything. 

It was Rin's goodbye party. Makoto still had not said anything. 

Everyone was smiling, laughing, having a good time. Makoto tried his best to partake in the celebrations, he laughed at Nagisa's playful antics, discussed the duties of club captain with Rei, enjoyed the food that had been supplied. But everytime his gaze wondered, even for a second, it somehow managed to find Sousuke. Even when he moved, Sousuke would be the first person Makoto laid eyes on.

By the end, it became too much. He was going around, preparing to say his final goodbyes. Having the twins as an excuse always proved to be useful, as he had so many opportunities to create a lie if he built it around them. Today's one was simply that he had to pick them up from a cooking club. He ignored the pointed look he received from Haru as he made his way over to Sousuke, trying to keep his head held high and voice steady as he greeted him. This was the first proper conversation they’d had since the trip to the spring baths. 

"Makoto, hey." 

Makoto gave a smile in response, taking in Sousuke's relaxed posture, the way his lips were curved upwards slightly in a smile that he rarely showed to anyone. Did Makoto really have the right to take that away from him? He knew that if he did manage to gather the courage to tell Sousuke how he truly felt, that grin would fall and be replaced with a shocked, awkward, potentially apologetic expression, and that was the last thing Makoto wanted. 

But... He made a promise. And although he was a coward, and he ran from things when he didn't like the look of them, avoided conflict at all costs, hated being the centre of attention... Makoto did not break promises, especially not ones that were made to Haru. 

"Can I talk to-" 

"I need to tell-" 

Both of them broke off, startled into silence. Makoto cringed at the fact that he had spoken at the same time as Sousuke, but was cut off before he could apologise. 

"Ah... Looks like we both have something to say... Wanna head outside for a second?" Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck, an action Makoto recognised to be one of embarrassment. He nodded gratefully, giving what he hoped was a convincing smile, although it felt like more of an uncomfortable grimace. He turned and lead the way out of the pool area, keeping his back to Sousuke so that the other couldn't see his anxious expression.

Thankfully, the hallway outside was completely empty. The doors were surprisingly soundproof, blocking out all chatter from inside as soon as Makoto let it shut behind them. The easy-going smile had dropped from Sousuke's face, and had been replaced with a more uptight and nervous expression. Makoto chose to ignore this for his own sake, and instead tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke. 

"Is it alright if I go first?" The main reason for his request was quite simple. If it turned out that Sousuke's news was bad, Makoto was unsure of whether he would still have the confidence to confess, and would probably end up becoming too scared and heartbroken to say anything, let alone talk about his own feelings.

Sousuke nodded in reply, and Makoto glanced around nervously, despite knowing that there was no one else in the corridor but them. He took note of the exit to his right, and planned to use it as a quick escape route when Sousuke rejected him. 

He took a deep breath... And began.

"I lied to you," He began simply, almost as an experiment to get his voiced used to speaking. Sousuke's features slackened slightly in surprise, which prompted Makoto to continue hurriedly. "Back at the spring baths, when you asked me why I wanted to end things before our deadline, I answered that it was because there was no point anymore, but... I lied to you. The truth is... I was being selfish, and I didn't want to keep going because it hurt me."

Sousuke's expression, which had morphed into one of mild curiosity, lit up in shock. Makoto could almost see the cogs turning in his mind as he tried to figure out the reasoning behind Makoto’s words, but continued, knowing that there was no going back now. 

"I couldn't keep pretending to be in love with you because... Because it actually happened. I fell for you, Sousuke, and I didn't know what to do so I took the cowardly route out and tried to avoid my problems, as I always do. But... I also knew that I wouldn't be content until I told you, so... Well, here we are." 

He paused, gaze falling to the ground so he didn't have to look at Sousuke's face anymore. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I tried to stop myself, because I knew that it would make things awkward, just as we were becoming friends. I understand if you don't want to talk to me again, o-or if you want to cut our ties, but I just want you to know that-"

"Thank God." 

"H-Huh?" Makoto's head snapped up in surprise, and was met with a flash of teal and a pair of lips on his. 

The feeling immediately brought a flashback to the kiss that they shared just outside Makoto's house, an innocent, timid one to try and practice how it worked together, in case the time arose that they had to do one in public. This was the opposite, so much so that Makoto wasn't even sure if it was real. Sousuke felt the same, but he was so different at the same time. While the previous kiss had been patient and gentle, this one was rough and hungry. Sousuke wasted no time in bringing a hand up to Makoto's cheek, as he had done so many nights ago, while the other one came to rest on his neck. He almost seemed... 

Desperate. 

So many thoughts were whirring around Makoto's mind at that moment, so many questions. The only thing he was sure of was that Sousuke was kissing him. And if Sousuke was kissing him... Could it be possible that-

"I like you too, Makoto." 

Makoto's eyes shot open. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed that the kiss had ended. Sousuke's hands were still warm against his skin, sending shivers throughout his body. 

"Y-You do?" It came out as a squeak, but at least they were recognisable as words. Sousuke’s face turned up into a crooked smile, the one that Makoto loved, and he gave a small nod. 

"Jeez. I should've known something like this would happen. A harmless plan, huh?" He let out a soft chuckle. "I'm not complaining, though."

Makoto felt his lips rise in a smile, reality finally crashing down on him. His eyes fluttered closed again as he leant in for another kiss. 

"Yeah... Pretending is hard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I pretty much wrote all of this in one day, so I'm sorry if the quality kind of dipped at the end... It's also super long, by far the longest thing I've ever written, so I think my energy just ran out by the end XD Anyway, apologies again for the late update, but new chapters should be coming out every Sunday from now on :) As always, feel free to leave a comment if you have a request!


	14. Park Confessions {Rinharu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Nah~ on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a cute little Rinharu to brighten up your Sunday :3  
> (Leave a comment if you have a request!)

Rin cursed quietly, running an agitated hand through his hair. His stomach growled every once in a while, but it wasn't as though food would help his situation. In fact, it would probably make everything worse. 

The sun shone down at him with a taunting light. He’d had the option to stay at the Samezuka dorms for a little longer, wallowing in his own anxiety until the last moment, but a combination of Sousuke's teasing and his own restlessness had provoked him to leave. Subsequently, he was about ten minutes early for his arranged meeting with Haru, and was now collapsed on a park bench looking like a complete loner. Rin didn't care about that, all he cared about were the irritating nerves swirling around in his heart. 

He loved the feeling of a challenge, but hated losing, which had always been guaranteed to catch up to him eventually. Usually, however, the prospect of a challenge would only succeed in boosting Rin's confidence and determination, instead of weighing him down as it was now. Not only that, but Haru always had a tendency to bring out the best - or the worst - in Rin, but that ability seemed to be failing now, as all Rin was feeling was a mediocre throb in his chest as he waited for his inevitable doom. 

One of his knees bounced precariously as he glanced around, taking in his surroundings for the first time since stumbling into the park. A few children were playing with a football, along with some families out for a picnic together, the occasional lone jogger whizzing by with their earphones in, tuned out to the rest of the world. All in all, the atmosphere was peaceful, but the amount of turmoil Rin was feeling was the exact opposite of that.

When he had first realised that he had a crush on Haru, it had been after his disastrous race last year, when he had just been kicked from the relay team and was overall having an awful day. However, when Haru found him, everything had seemed to brighten a little. Haru had been talking to him, and for the first time in months, Rin felt as though he was free. 

Things had just escalated from that point. Rin would find himself becoming nervous in Haru's company, and he would dread the times they spent together because of this, but would also hate it when they were apart. It was annoying, and made him stressed, which was the last thing he wanted. Eventually, Sousuke seemed to have had enough of Rin's sour attitude, and the two of them had a little heart-to-heart where Rin spilled all of the love-struck thoughts he was experiencing. Sousuke had been slightly off-put at first, as he wasn't very keen on Haru himself, but had eventually put aside his own feelings for Rin's sake (which had caused Rin to shed a few grateful tears) and agreed to help Rin out with his little problem.

Rin had almost begun to regret his decision of telling Sousuke, as it was soon revealed that the other had no plans of letting Rin escape his feelings without acting upon them. After about fifteen minutes of trying to convince Rin to confess to Haru before he left for Australia, Sousuke had rolled his eyes dramatically and said something along the lines of: "If you don't do anything, I'll just end up telling Nanase myself, since you're too much of a wuss." Now, Rin didn't like being called a wuss, but he disliked the idea of Sousuke telling Haru everything even more. 

And so, a combination of his own competitiveness, Sousuke's unspoken challenge, and the time-limit that was constantly breathing down his neck, Rin had phoned Haru one night and asked for a meet-up, with just the two of them. Eventually they had decided to spend a few hours at the park after lunch, so that Rin had enough time to tell Haru what he wanted, but they wouldn't have to worry about spending too much time together if things went badly. At least, that was Rin's logic.

But now he was here, waiting anxiously for Haru to arrive, and wishing he had never brought up any of this. 

Rin glanced down, putting his face in his hands, groaning internally. Or maybe it was externally, he didn't care enough to check. 

"Everything's so stupid..." He mumbled, voice slightly muffled by his palms. "Stupid Sousuke for making me do all of this... I wish he'd just let me get on with my life instead of forcing me to do this..." He felt slightly bad for uttering those words, but was mad enough at Sousuke that he didn't feel too much guilt. The rational part of his mind told him that it was all for the best, and that he would feel thankful eventually. At the moment, however, it was incredibly hard to believe that. 

"Stupid me for having all of these stupid feelings... And stupid Haru, with his stupid perfect hair and blue eyes, and stupid half-smile thing that’s so stupidly cute, and stupid emotionless face meaning I have no clue what he’s thinking... Stupid, stupid, stupid... I wish I just knew how he felt... And now I have no clue how to tell him, goddamit," Rin knew that he was talking to himself, and that any people walking past would think that he was an abosulte lunatic. In fact, his ears managed to pick out a pair of footsteps stopping just beside his bench. He let out another groan into his hands, ready for whatever concerned comments were headed his way. 

"Maybe you should just kiss him and see how he reacts." 

Rin jolted up from his slouched position, eyes flying open to blink at the person in front of him. The voice had been painfully familiar, along with the soothing, flat tone, and Rin could already feel the embarrassed tears peeking at his eyelids as he stared back at Haru.

"W-What the hell...?" He managed to stutter out, sparing a feeble glance at his watch. "It's isn't time to meet yet..." 

"I thought I would be a bit early. It seems you did, too." 

Great.

"Yeah... How long have you been standing there for?" Rin let himself utter the words, dreading the answer. It felt almost comical, and he knew that Sousuke would be in fits if he was there. 

Haru let out a thoughtful hum, almost seeming to torment Rin, before giving a simple reply, "A few minutes, probably." 

"So you heard everything." Rin didn't even say it as a question, as he was already aware of Haru's answer. A combination of the amused glint behind his blue orbs, and the small smile tugging at the edge of his lips was enough to tell Rin all he needed to know. Haru knew everything, sending Rin's previous plan out of the window. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out..." 

A slightly more forlorn look crossed Haru's face as he glanced away. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but... I was quite interested in what you were saying, so I couldn't really help myself. Besides, it's quite a comfort to know that you like me back."

Rin's eyed widened, playing Haru's words over in his mind. 'Like me back.' Just three little syllables, yet Rin's brain was having so much trouble processing it. Haru continued, seeming to sense that Rin had become quite stumped. 

"Makoto had been trying to convince me to tell you, but I kept refusing. Then, when you arranged this meet-up, he made me promise that I would end up confessing. Luckily I overheard your little rant, so I didn't have to worry about being rejected anymore..." Haru let out a slightly amused huff, also seeming aware that Rin had pulled the short straw in the situation.

Rin stood up slowly, staring down at Haru as his thoughts began to catch up to his actions. The black-haired male looked up at him in curiosity, clearly expecting Rin to say something in return, and to give his own confession. Unfortunately, Rin still felt extremely illiterate, and didn't trust himself to utter any words, especially not the notorious 'I love you.' And so, he settled for the next best thing. 

With annoyingly shaky fingers, he placed a hand under Haru's chin, angling his face up so that it was more accessible. Then, he pressed his lips against Haru's, feeling a short gasp of surprise at his action. He was extremely shocked himself, still reeling from Haru's revelation, and also from his own adventurousness. Maybe he had just been keeping his feelings bottled up for too long, and desperately needed a way to let them out. This kiss was his method. 

Rin let his actions become slightly more rough - although he was well-aware that they were currently in a public area - and brought one of his hands down to take Haru's in his, giving it a tight squeeze. He knew that he had completely screwed up his verbal confession, so actions were the only option he had left. 

When they broke apart, Haru's breath was coming out in short gasps, as he stared at Rin with a look of amazement and confusion on his face. Rin was quite proud of himself, as it would usually take a lot to get such a passionate expression from Haru's usual deadpan face. 

"What was that for?" 

Rin felt relief, Haru's reaction telling him enough. He hadn't pushed Rin away, hadn't gone back on his words from earlier. That was all he needed to know. Haru spoke the truth about his feelings, and Rin had nothing to fear. 

His familiar, toothy grin took over his face as he let out a light chuckle, both at Haru's still-stunned expression, and from what he was about to say next. "Well, you did tell me to just 'kiss him and see how he reacts', after all.'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprisingly, this was my first time writing this pairing, and it was pretty fun! Looking forward to doing more in the future~


	15. Unwanted Interruption {Rinharu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Rinrin on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sin sin sin… This is not a smut, I'm still uncapable of writing those, but there is a little bit of naughty sexual stuff in this, so there's a little warning :3 Nothing too explicit, though.

Rin gave the dorm room one more glance, hands resting proudly on his hips. Everything seemed tidy enough, all unwanted clothes (namely socks) stuffed in drawers, leftover snack wrappers safely put in the bin, and bedsheets freshly washed. This was the first time Rin had put so much effort into cleaning, as Sousuke was usually the one who took care of all that, but tonight was a special case.

He was expecting a guest. And not just any guest. His boyfriend, the one and only Haruka Nanase. 

Since it was Haru's first time seeing the dorm, Rin had made sure everything looked acceptable. Although Haru wasn't the type of person to judge based on the appearance of a room alone, Rin was also aware of how his odd boyfriend would sometimes parade around his house - wearing nothing but a swimsiut - with a vacuum cleaner or feather duster in his grasp. So, just in case Haru's expectations were unnecessarily high, Rin had taken extra care when tidying things up, both to spare himself from any embarrassment, and also so that everything was in order for whatever would go down later that night. 

Just the thought of having his first time with Haru made Rin's cheeks heat up. The two had been dating for roughly six months, and although neither wanted to take things too quickly, there was also a slightly urgent tone to their relationship. Rin would be returning to Australia within a few months, and who knew how long it would be before they saw each other in person again after that. So, although Rin had no clue what was going to happen later on, he wanted to be prepared, just in case.

There was also the bonus of Sousuke visiting his cousin, consequently being out for the night, which would allow Rin and Haru the privacy that they would need. Rin usually wouldn't have gone into something like this so confidently, but Makoto had mentioned a few times that Haru had seemed a little on edge, and Rin just hoped that it was for the reason he thought it was. 

Deciding not to get too caught on his thoughts, Rin checked his reflection in the mirror one more time, popped a mint into his mouth, and headed out to meet up with Haru. 

\--------------------

The door closed with a satisfying click, bathing the room in silence. Rin debated on locking the door, then decided against it. The members of Samezuka already knew that they weren't allowed to enter his room without knocking, and the only person who would barge in without announcement would be Sousuke, who was already accounted for. 

Rin turned, meeting eyes with Haru, who had taken a moment to examine the room. Blue eyes flicked over to examine the bunk beds to the right, causing Rin to shuffle in anticipation. 

"Which one is yours?" Haru asked quietly, the direction of his stare giving Rin indication of what he was asking about. 

"The bottom one," Rin replied, not hiding the pride in his voice. "Neither of us wanted to go top, but I won the rock paper scissors game..." 

Haru let out an amused huff at that, glancing back to meet Rin's gaze. Rin had been told that he had a very expressive face, and that it was easy to tell what he was thinking by his expression. This was completely opposite to Haru, who's usual deapan and flat demeanour made it almost impossible to guess how he was feeling. However, as their eyes met, Rin knew exactly what was on Haru's mind, and what he wanted. 

So, deciding not to do any time-wasting, Rin surged forward and locked his lips onto Haru's. They had kissed countless times before, but Rin couldn't help but feel as though this time was different. Unlike the cautiousness of their first kiss, or the familiarity of their ones in between, this felt deeper, more meaningful. Maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the excitement he knew Haru was experiencing as well. 

It wasn't long before they were stepping back, Rin's confident hands guiding Haru towards the bed. They would have to be careful of hitting their heads on the bunk above, but Rin didn't really care about that risk at that moment. 

All it took was a gentle push from Rin to get Haru onto the bed, the mattress sinking slightly with their combined weight. Rin leaned over, breathing heavily as he straddled himself on top of Haru. The usual calm, settled blue eyes were now alight with an eager fire, which was making Rin's heart race with an uncontrollable desire. He needed this, desperately. However, there was one thing he needed to say first, before they got any further. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, watching Haru's face carefully. 

"I'm sure. You?" Haru's reply was simple as per usual, but his voice never failed to send shivers down Rin's spine. With a toothy grin, he gave Haru a reply of his own. 

"Of course." 

With trembling fingers, Rin helped Haru take off his shirt, pausing momentarily to admire his muscles. Rin definitely didn't have an obsession like Gou, but he did appreciate it when they were well-defined, especially when they were Haru's. Maybe it was just something in the Matsuoka DNA. 

Taking off his own shirt was far easier physically, but it had more of a mental toll on him. It was the action that really made Rin realise what they were going to do, and although he didn't feel any hesitation, he was finally completely aware that he was about to make love with Haru. 

And he wanted to, so badly. 

Hands now steady, Rin began to direct them down to Haru's jeans, completely prepared for whatever happened next- 

When his phone began to ring from his desk on the other side of the room. Both Rin and Haru stopped moving, heads simultaneously snapping up from each other's faces to stare down the cursed pieced of technology. 

Rin was the first to recover, shrugging it off as an advertisement call. However, just as he was about to return with his task of ridding Haru of his jeans, his phone buzzed again, this time with an incoming text message. 

"Rin," Haru's voice came from beneath him. Rin gritted his teeth, already aware of what Haru was about to say, yet completely reluctant to hear it. 

"What?" 

"You should answer that. Or, at least see who it was. It sounded like they were trying to contact you-" 

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Rin grumbled, feeling slightly guilty for cutting Haru off. He couldn't really help it, though, as they were so close to finally reaching the next stage of their relationship before his stupid phone decided to interrupt. 

With an overdramatic sigh, he detached himself from Haru and headed over to his desk, dragging his feet along the ground as he did so. His vision slightly blurred, Rin glanced at his lock screen to see who the call and message were from, surprised by the name that met him. 

[1 missed call: Sousuke] 

A sinking feeling of foreboding beginning to settle in his stomach, Rin grasped his phone tightly in both hands and unlocked it, ignoring Haru when he asked who it was. After reading the message, Rin was too busy trying to figure out how the two of them were going to get out of the situation alive to pay attention to anything else. 

Sousuke [19:52] Yo, Rin. Turns out my cousin has a girl over, so I don’t really wanna be there right now, lmao. Just thought I’d let you know that I’m coming back to Samezuka, entering the dorms now. Cya soon. 

As if to magnify the horrendousness of their problem, there unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching from out in the corridor. Rin was sincerely beginning to regret not locking the door. 

He wasn’t very good at deductions, but judging by how far away the footsteps were, they didn’t have very long, a few seconds at the most. Haru seemed to have been smart enough to figure out that something was extremely wrong, and had managed to bury himself beneath Rin’s blankets. This left Rin to dive into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a slam. 

And so, there he sat, hunched over and near-tears in his bathroom. He had both hands clasped tightly over his mouth to try and keep any breath from escaping too loudly, although he was unsure of why he needed to be so quiet. It was Haru that had to do his best to hide, he was the one out of place here, after all. 

It felt like hours of silence, ticking over and over in Rin’s head as he waited for something to happen. Sousuke would need to go to the bathroom eventually, right? While he was in there, Haru would be able to escape, and they would carry on as if nothing had ever happened. A plan that was far from perfect, but the best option they had. 

Rin’s ears perked up as he heard someone approaching the bathroom door, and nearly gave himself a heart attack when a few knocks rang out. 

“Hey, Rin, you in there?” Sousuke’s familiar voice came from the other side of the door, seeming as calm and disinterested as usual. Rin, however, was suspicious. 

“Yeah… Sou, what’s up?” His tone held a slightly warning edge to it, and Rin hoped that he hadn’t just given them away. 

“Well, I just thought I’d let you know that there’s a half-naked dude hiding on your bed.” 

Rin wanted to cry.

“Hang on a sec... He’s putting his shirt on now...Oh... And I just got given the middle finger, what a joy. Hey... Look, now he’s leaving… Whoops, I think I just cockblocked you, sorry buddy.” 

Rin really wanted to cry. 

Aware that there was no longer any point in hiding in the bathroom, Rin got to his feet and made his way to the door. He hung his head in shame as he exited, giving Sousuke the middle finger just as Haru had a few seconds ago. 

Sousuke was grinning, arms folded over his chest as he watched Rin with amused eyes. 

“You couldn’t have texted me any earlier…?” Rin groaned, running a tired hand over his face. “Then at least you would’ve spared Haru the embarrassment…” 

Sousuke gave a shrug, smile becoming even more mischievous. “You realise that I’d have happily slept on the floor at Momo and Ai’s or something if you’d just told me that you and Nanase were planning to-” 

Rin decided to cut Sousuke off before he said anything even more embarrassing, not that there was much he could do to take away his embarrassment now. 

“Look, if I give you his best friend's number, will you shut up about this?” Rin hissed, trying to make Sousuke a little bit flustered, if that was possible. It did seem to work slightly, as Sousuke’s smirk fell into something a little more disbelieving, and he gave his head a stubborn shake. 

“Nah. I’m not gay, Rin. Besides, Tachibana and I hardly know each other.” 

This time it was Rin’s turn to shrug, as he trailed over to pick up his shirt that had been dropped unceremoniously on the floor earlier. His little theory on Sousuke having the hots for Makoto seemed to have been disproved. It was a long shot, anyway. 

“But, I mean, I guess it wouldn’t hurt for you to give me his number if you have it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, just had to slip that little Soumako cameo at the end (._.;) Anyway, leave a comment if you have a request~!


	16. Risky Bets {Asakisu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Rei's no.2 fan on Amino <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honest to god, I'm so tired. I guess this is what I get when I have a sleepover on a school night. (._.;) Anyway, smut is IMPLIED in this fic, key word there of implied. Really, it's quite hard to explain, but there is no literal smut here because I want to keep some of the little innocence I have left xP

Haru let the door slide shut behind him, his blue-patterned duffel bag slipping to the floor with a subdued thud. He paused, allowing a small sigh to escape his lips as he surveyed the deserted room before him. 

It was a relief, to say the least, that he had the lounge and kitchen to himself. Although water never failed to accept him, swimming sessions at the university were made to be tough, and showed him a fierce side to the water that he had never seen before. His evenings would be spent cooking mackerel, eating mackerel, and having a long soak in the bath tub before doing an hour of studying before bed. It was a routine that he would follow everyday, which should have caused him comfort in the quiet, soothing lifestyle that he was living. 

Unfortunately, his roommates didn't seem to allow him much time to rest. The moments when he wasn't locked in the bathroom would be occupied by Kisumi's annoying pesturing, and Asahi's never-ending boisterous playfulness. The two were just as bad as each other, and Haru always had a box of pills to soothe his headache by his bedside. It honestly felt like he was stuck with a pair of five-year-olds.

Haru closed his eyes, preparing to be bombarded with the loud voices that he was used to. Despite nobody currently being present in the living room, it wouldn't be long before Kisumi appeared from the depths of his bedroom, or Asahi vaulted himself over one of the sofas. However, after counting to ten seconds, Haru was still alone. 

Furrowing his eyebrows slightly, he glanced back to the doormat, taking in the two pairs of shoes resting next to the radiator. Both Asahi and Kisumi were definitely present, which was why he was so confused as to why neither of them had shown up yet. Although they could be incredibly annoying at times, both boys were quite affectionate, and would usually give Haru a warm greeting when he made it home from practice.

He swallowed his unease, kicking off his own trainers and picking up his duffel bag to carry inside. Maybe Asahi and Kisumi were just studying... Haru found this hard to believe, as the troublemakers would usually end up playing Mario Kart together when they were alone. The badly-hidden remote controllers were enough of a giveaway, and the crumpled piece of paper full of tally charts that was always stuffed beneath one of the sofa's cushions. Haru could already imagine how competitive the two would get, needing to keep score of who won each race for their own sense of satisfaction. 

Sighing again, this one slightly fonder than the last, Haru entered his bedroom to put the bag on the end of his bed, as always. His room was dark, untouched, which had become quite a rare occurrence. Asahi and Kisumi had held pranking competitions before, seeing who would be able to get a hint of emotion from Haru's ever expressionless face. Neither had succeeded thus far.

Feeling even more unnerved than before, Haru exited the darkness of his room and re-entered the lounge, suddenly tempted to check whether Asahi was hiding under the cushions, or if Kisumi was lurking behind a curtain. Maybe they were trying to jump-scare him. 

After a brief but thorough search of the living room, Haru was certain of his safety. He straitened up, having just checked the dusty space beneath the sofa, and dusted off his hands, content with his work. He really was... Alone. The word felt alien to him, the eerie, almost lonely silence of the living room suddenly becoming deafening. 

He shot a glance over his shoulder, taking in the hallway behind him. Asahi's bedroom door at the end of the hallway was wide open, indicating that no one was inside (Haru didn't want to be nosy and look for himself) while Kisumi's was shut. As much as Haru hated himself for it, his thoughts immediately turned to the dirty side.

Over the past few weeks he had sensed something slightly different between his two roommates. There always had been some tension there, which was probably the cause of all the squabbles they would break out into at seemingly random moments, but recently it had been becoming so much that Haru would leave the room for the sake of his own sanity. He had even begun considering moving out, and letting Asahi and Kisumi sort out whatever was going on between them together. However, the single closed door sent Haru's mind into overdrive, and he immediately assumed that something extremely private was happening behind those walls.

He would inquire about it tomorrow morning, he decided, as they certainly wouldn't want to be interrupted, and probably wouldn't be finished until much later. He felt a knowing smile tug at his lips, and turned on his heels to march into the kitchen. Now it was time for some mackerel. 

But that was when he heard it. A loud grunt, piercing through the previous silence that had settled over the flat. Haru stopped dead in his tracks, his ears straining instinctively to try and catch any other noise. Although it was hard to tell who's voice it was, Haru knew that it had come from Kisumi's room. For a moment he debated on running into his own room to grab a pair of headphones so that he could tune out whatever noises Kisumi and Asahi would make together, but decided against it. Once the grill was on, that would be enough to distract him. However... 

"Ow, it hurts!" 

Just as Haru was about to take another step forward, Kisumi's familiar voice rang out from behind the closed door. It was whiny, a tone he was used to hearing from Kisumi, but the sound brought a blush to Haru's cheeks. It felt so wrong to be listening to this, especially as things seemed to be getting quite heated in there. Maybe he should fetch his headphones... He was always complaining about wanting privacy, so it was only right that he gave his roommates theirs.

"Of course it does, now just shut up, you big baby," Asahi's voice also carried out at a surprising volume. Haru cringed, hearing the frustrated edge to Asahi's sentence. If they really were having their first time, shouldn't Asahi be a little more gentle and sympathetic? Especially if Kisumi was in pain, as Haru predicted he was. Despite Asahi's heart being in the right place, Haru knew that he could sometimes be a bit rough around the edginess, not noticing other people's discomfort until it was too late. 

"P-Please stop, Asahi, it's really painful... I back out!" 

"Oh, hell no. It was your idea, and you agreed to this earlier." Haru felt a twinge in his stomach as he recognised a sneer to Asahi's tone. It couldn't be that he was... Enjoying whatever he was doing to Kisumi, could it? 

Haru made the decision in an instant, turning on his heel and surging towards Kisumi's door with his fists clenched. He already knew how mentally scarring it would be to see his two roommates in the position they were undoubtedly in, but it was a price he was willing to pay for their safety.

Entire body trembling with anticipation and dread, Haru opened the door with a violent push. 

"What the hell are you doing, Asahi?!?" He cried, wide eyes flying to the two boys lying on the floor in front of him, eyebrows furrowed into a scolding frown and cheeks on fire. 

Asahi had Kisumi pinned underneath him, the pink-haired male's arms forcefully placed above his head so he couldn't struggle. Asahi's legs had Kisumi's chest straddled securely between them, leaning over with a threatening aura. They were both fully clothed. 

Haru blinked for a second, pupils travelling from Kisumi's terrified expression to Asahi's mischievous one. Magenta eyes slowly travelled up to meet Haru's, Asahi's gaze sharpening with horror when he realised who had just walked in on them. Haru glanced back down at Kisumi, realising for the first time how... Messy the other's eyebrows had become. Realisation dawning on him, Haru watched with shock as Asahi leant back, putting the pair of tweezers that he had previously been holding safely on the floor. 

\--------------------

*Earlier that day*

\--------------------

"So, did you study for this?" Kisumi questioned curiously, sitting down in the chair next to Asahi. The redhead glanced up, giving a small smirk and a shrug to accompany it. 

"Of course I didn't. You?" 

"Nope! I was too busy revelling in my victory from last night," Kisumi replied, shooting Asahi a mischievous wink as he took out his notebook. There was a playful punch to his shoulder as Asahi began grumbling about 'the race being unfair' and how 'Mario kart was stupid.' Kisumi decided not to take offence, finding Asahi's sourness to be a little too cute to interrupt. 

"Anyway, I thought of another competition we could have. You can... Win back your title, or whatever," Kisumi offered, cutting Asahi's rant off before he could say anything too offensive about the game. 

Asahi perked up slightly in his seat, the competitive side to him showing as his eyes sparkled with interest. "Alright, I'm listening. And it'd better not be something like 'who can prank Haru the best' because that guy is boring."

Kisumi nodded solemnly, having a quick flashback to their previous competition. It had been quite dull, although Kisumi did admire Haru greatly for his stoic attitude and cool head. "So... Whoever scores highest on this test gets to do whatever they want to the other person. I've already planned out that I'll paint your nails a bright, bubbly pink for the rest of the week. Then you can match my hair!" 

"Oh, it's on," Asahi's grin became a full-on smile as he leant forward, studying Kisumi with a calculating gaze. The other felt a momentary pang of fear, but reminded himself that he just had to beat Asahi on the quiz, which should be fairly easy. 

"What are you going to do to me if you win, then?" 

"Hm... I think I'll give your eyebrows a little trim." 

\--------------------

*The present*

\--------------------

"What is it, Haru?" Asahi asked, leaning back on his heals to prop himself up from Kisumi's still-quivering body. "Sorry neither of us came to say hi earlier, by the way, we were kinda preoccupied." He paused, raising an eyebrow as he took in Haru's expression. 

"Um..." Haru was only able to make a little sound from the back of his throat, the cogs in his brain gradually piecing together the story. He was tempted to sink into the ground, and probably would have, if he had the ability. 

Instead of communicating with words, he opted to glance from Kisumi to Asahi, trying to convey his message with simple glances. Hopefully a combination of his flustered movements and his inability to speak would be enough to tell Asahi what he was thinking. 

It seemed to work. 

"Wait, hang on a second, did you think that I... That we...? Oh. Oh no." A blush began to spread across Asahi's cheeks at lightning speed. He shakily rolled off of Kisumi, the redness Of his face matching the crimson of his hair as he rubbed a shaky hand over his mouth. 

Haru still remained standing in the doorway, beginning to fiddle with his feet. He couldn't just get up and leave without a word, as he was well-aware of the awkward situation he would leave behind. Kisumi, who had remained completely silent throughout the entire ordeal, finally decided to speak up. 

"If it makes you feel any better... I literally cannot feel my face."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose this relationship could be seen as either platonic or romantic, but either way, I love these dudes together <3 Also thought that it would be quite fun to stick some Haru in here and experiment with the dynamics of these three. I apologise if it was complete crap as well, I'm so tired I don't think I can function anymore. Anyway, feel free to leave a comment if you have a request~!


	17. Spilled Secret {Ikukisu}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by HenNASanoTrio <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of the most angsty Free! things I've written, which I'm really happy about because angst is usually my go-to theme XD Anyway, I hope this was alright ^~^
> 
> WARNING: Slight panic attacks

Ikuya really hated feelings sometimes. They were nuisances, annoying, and seemed to only exists for the purpose of pain. Ikuya had lost count of how many times that emotions had caused him to hold back, or created some kind of awkward situation. Honestly, he would give anything to just stop feeling them altogether, but he had somehow been gifted the misfortune of being quite an emotional person. 

Of course, he wouldn't deny that there were times when he loved feelings. For example, the thrill he had experienced when swimming with his old school's relay team. That was something Ikuya wanted to remember forever, and he would often try to call back to that moment, working to recreate the happiness he had experienced then. So... Maybe feelings weren't too bad.

They could mean good things, or they could mean bad things, it was quite simple. They could be positive or they could be negative, it was easy enough to tell what mood he was in by his feelings. 

However, later on in his life, Ikuya grew to become stuck in a little dilemma that left him confused. He was feeling positive emotions... But he was also convinced that they would have a bad outcome. It was something that he had never been forced to deal with before, and he physically didn't know how to approach them.

What he did know was that Kisumi Shigino made him feel nice. Whenever he was around his bubbly, pink-haired friend, Ikuya would find it hard not to smile. He would savour their time together because of the emotions it brought, the unfamiliar fluttering feeling from his stomach, and the dancing in his heart. It was an emotion that he hadn't experienced yet, and it left him craving more. More of the fluttering, more of the dancing, more of Kisumi.

Unfortunately, because of his lack of experience in this situation, Ikuya was more than eager to spill his thoughts to some of his fellow university students when they asked if he was alright. Usually he would refrain from talking about himself for too long, and would be more comfortable just listening and observing the conversations of others. But, past experiences told him that he could rely on his friends for advice, especially when it involved feelings.

And so, he had told them everything. He didn't use any of the cheesy, poetic lines that sometimes circled around his mind when he was thinking of Kisumi, but he did reveal details about how he felt. 

Looking back at it later, Ikuya realised how stupid he had been. He had never grown a crush on anyone before, which was why it came as such a surprise when he first realised that his feelings for Kisumi were far greater than he had originally thought. His friends, who all must have had crushes of their own, were able to identify Ikuya's problem immediately, and didn't beat around the bush when breaking the news to him. In fact, they had found it quite amusing that he truly had no idea as to what was causing his complicated feelings.

They had found it so amusing, that a few of them had laughed. They had laughed at him, and his stupid crush on Kisumi. 

So that was why Ikuya came to his conclusion. Although Kisumi may bring a smile to Ikuya's face, and provide light in the dark times, these seemingly positive feelings would only bring misery. Ikuya's own friends had laughed at him for how he felt, so who was to say Kisumi wouldn't? Just the thought of confessing to Kisumi and ruining their friendship left Ikuya reeling, so he shoved the cursed feelings to the back of his mind and continued on as usual. 

Sometimes he really, really hated feelings.

Although Ikuya knew he would never confess, for his fear of rejection was too much, he wasn't prepared to just cut his ties with Kisumi. He had survived this long without mentioning anything, or trying to take their friendship to the next level, so he would carry on how he was. 

Kisumi was almost always the one who would arrange their meet-ups, but Ikuya felt complied to be the first to reach out for once. Still recovering from his humiliated, shell-shocked few days that he spent cooped up in his room, he wanted nothing more than to feel happy and relaxed, like he usually did in Kisumi's company. Admittedly, the other could sometimes be a little exhausting, but it was something that Ikuya had grown used to over time. 

After exchanging a few brief text messages with Kisumi, Ikuya headed out of his stuffy dorm room and made his way towards the small café they usually met at. It was an extremely popular place amongst the university students - the friendly staff, cheap but tasty food and comfortable atmosphere compiling to create the ideal chill-out place for stressed teenagers. Ikuya, naturally, had warmed to it immediately, but that may just have been because the café was the location he associated with Kisumi, and any thoughts about Kisumi would improve his mood immediately.

Blushing slightly at his own thoughts, Ikuya scowled at his feet as he walked. Thinking back on it now, he found it blatantly obvious that he was head over heels for Kisumi. Whether it was the fact that Kisumi was always at the centre of Ikuya's thoughts, or that all Ikuya had to do was picture that mischievous, lopsided smirk to cheer himself up, everything had now become crystal clear. 

Ikuya had a crush on Kisumi. 

And he was going out to meet him now. 

Ikuya felt his body grind to a halt, his lips twisting into a frown as his eyes narrowed further. He hadn't been in contact with Kisumi since coming to terms with his feelings, let alone talked to him in person. Maybe he should have spent a little longer just to plan out how he was going to approach this, instead of just running into it head-on.

Letting out a long sigh, Ikuya stuffed a hand into his jacket pocket, reaching for the cool metal of his phone that rested inside. He wasn't used to getting cold feet, nervousness generally wasn't something that affected him too badly, but in this case he would forgive himself if he had to wimp out. With confident fingers, he unlocked his device, swiping along to his messaging app to send a quick text to Kisumi. He could just use studying as an excuse - he knew it was a half-hearted, cliché one, but it was believable. 

Just as he was opening up his chat with Kisumi, Ikuya heard a familiar voice call out, making his blood run cold. 

"Hey, Ikuya!" 

Speak of the devil... Ikuya swallowed the bile that rose to his throat, glancing up from his phone to see a bundle of pink waving at him enthusiastically. Admittedly, Kisumi was still at quite a distance, but Ikuya could practically feel his positive vibes from where he was. 

He tried to lighten up his expression as he pocketed his phone, aware that he probably looked quite intimidating at that moment. He hadn't even realised that he had made it to the café already, too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings. His agitated speed-walking must have covered the distance quickly. 

"Perfect timing, huh?" Kisumi said as Ikuya approached, the two of them now standing just outside the entrance of the café. "I was just coming round the corner when I saw you on your phone over there. It was kinda odd, to be honest, you were just standing in the middle of the street like a weirdo," He let out a light laugh, giving Ikuya a gentle nudge with his shoulder. Just that small moment of contact left Ikuya tingling, and he forced himself to keep his bored, neutral expression.

"Let's go inside," He spoke, levelling his voice to a flat tone as he pushed open the door and entered, not waiting to see if Kisumi followed. 

As soon as he stepped inside, Ikuya was hit with the familiar, warm scent of cinnamon and sugar mixed with a little bit of chocolate. There was the subdued buzzing of the coffee machine, tinkling of spoons stirring in mugs, and bright chatter of the customers and workers. The café always had the same atmosphere, and it reminded Ikuya of Kisumi. 

"Ah, I love this place," His friend sighed contentedly, letting the door close softly behind him. The little bell attached to the top of the frame jingled, causing one of the waitresses to glance over to them. Her eyes lit up in recognition as she gave them a welcoming smile, which Kisumi returned brightly, Ikuya just giving a small nod. The staff had come to recognise them as regulars because of their continuous visits, and had even made note of their favourite menu options. Because of this, Ikuya and Kisumi simply had to sit down and wait for their usual orders to be brought out. It was gestures like these that made Ikuya feel nice.

Ikuya led the way to one of the booths, sliding into the comfortable seat and releasing a small sigh of relief through his nose. Kisumi did the same, shuffling around a little as if to get into a better position. Ikuya watched quietly, paying attention to little things about Kisumi that he probably wouldn't have before. For example, he noticed how Kisumi's hair appeared a shade lighter under the sunlight streaming in from the window, or how his lips seemd to naturally twist into an upward angle. He noticed how there was always a clump of hair resting between Kisumi's purple eyes that managed to stay messy, yet somehow didn't obstruct his sight at all. He also noticed how Kisumi's entire face seemed to brighten as he spoke, expressions coming naturally and animatedly.

"So, Ikuya, how are things with you?" Kisumi asked, breaking the thoughtful silence that Ikuya hadn't even realised they had lapsed into. 

"You say that like we haven't seen each other in ages," Ikuya commented, raising an eyebrow as he tried to pretend he hadn't just been admiring Kisumi's appearance for a solid minute. "I'm pretty sure we met up last week." 

Kisumi glanced down slightly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, putting his chin in his hands as he gave a little smirk. Ikuya tried to keep his breathing steady. 

"Yeah, well, you seem different." 

"Really? How so?" 

"I dunno. You're more aloof than usual," Kisumi gave a small shrug, eyes glinting mischievously. Ikuya was aware that he was just trying to provoke him, or get some kind of reaction, but unfortunately that did not stop him from getting flustered. 

"And you're being more annoying that usual," He gave a stubborn retort, refraining from breaking eye contact. Now he was noticing how Kisumi's eyes almost seemed to fade into a lighter shade of purple further down, whether that was because of the light, or a natural occurrence, he wasn't sure. 

Kisumi let out another laugh, before continuing, "You didn't answer my question. How are you?" 

This time it was Ikuya's turn to shrug, as he gave a short answer of 'fine.' Realistically, he was feeling absolutely awful, and was in the middle of what felt like one of the most traumatic weeks of his life. But, since Kisumi was the main cause of his discomfort, Ikuya didn't really think it would be a good idea to voice his problems at the moment. 

"Anyway, I was actually quite pleased that you said you wanted to meet up," Kisumi spoke after a short pause, directing Ikuya's attention back to him. Not that it had ever left in the first place, of course, but Ikuya just wanted to make it seem like it had. "I wanted to talk to you about something-" 

Ikuya didn't think anything would have been able to distract him from Kisumi in that moment, but he was proven wrong by the familiar jingling of the bell as the front door opened. He wasn't sure why his gaze travelled up at that moment, but he was relieved that it did, as it gave him time to react. 

"Kisumi, keep your head low," He hissed, interrupting Kisumi quite ungraciously. He made a mental note to apologise for that later, not that Kisumi would care too much, but he felt guilty for it nonetheless. 

"Huh? Why?" Kisumi's voice sounded confused, his expression matching his tone as he turned to glance over the back of his seat. Ikuya cursed quietly under his breath, realising his mistake. He should've just remained silent, because of course Kisumi would want to know the reason behind Ikuya's urgency, and of course he would turn around to look. For a moment, Ikuya considered pulling Kisumi into a headlock to try and keep him from being noticed, but the damage was already done. 

His university 'friends' had spotted them. And Ikuya knew he was in for a bad time.

"Yo, Ikuya!" One of them spoke as they began making their way over, each step causing Ikuya's heart to beat faster. "Fancy running into you here, buddy! Oh, and who's this?" Ikuya was tempted to crawl under the table and hide as all gazes turned to Kisumi, who gave a friendly, albeit confused smile in return. 

"I'm... Kisumi Shigino. It's nice to meet you guys... Um... Are you friends of Ikuya's?" Kisumi's tone was hesitant. He wasn't the kind of person who would be nervous when meeting new people, so Ikuya could only think that the pink-haired male had managed to pick up on his discomfort. Ikuya was trying to hide it, but he knew that it was only a matter of time now until his secret was spilled. 

"Oh, so you're the guy Ikuya keeps talking about!" 

And there it was. 

"What?" Kisumi's voice sounded slightly muffled, and Ikuya struggled to keep his breathing steady. He had to stay calm, maybe there was still a way out of this. 

"Yeah, dude, Ikuya really likes you! Like... Really... Likes you." 

Nope, there was definitely no way out of this. 

Their food hadn't arrived yet, so Ikuya didn't have to worry about wasting anything when he ran. Ignoring Kisumi's confused shout after him, and the odd looks he recieved from the customers he passed on his way to the door, Ikuya left before he had to witness anything else. 

The cold wind of the city hit him with force, the roaring of engines and constant sound of shoes on concrete providing a huge contrast to the cosy atmosphere he left behind in the café. He blinked back the inevitable tears that were prickling at the edges of his eyes and made an abrupt turn, pushing his way through the crowds of people on the sidewalk as he struggled to regain control of his breathing. 

Although he was gradually increasing the distance between himself and the café, and it was impossible for him to hear what was going on inside, he could picture it so clearly in his mind that it was painful. He could imagine Kisumi's shocked face, his words dying on the end of his tongue as he tried to say that he didn't return any of Ikuya's feelings, that there must be some sort of mistake. That he didn't like him in that way. Maybe Kisumi would even laugh, as Ikuya's classmates had. 

Ikuya really, really hated feelings. 

"Hey, Ikuya! O-Oi, wait up! Ikuya!" Ikuya almost thought he was imagining Kisumi's voice at first, another cruel trick that his mind was playing on him. Maybe he was having some sort of hallucination, punishing him for all of the mistakes that he made, and all of the unreachable things that he wanted. 

But, for some reason, despite his heart protesting, Ikuya glanced over his shoulder... 

...To see a very familiar bundle of pink trying to reach him through the crowds. Ikuya noticed a few things about Kisumi then. He noticed how the tuft of hair in between his eyes now covered one of them, transforming his usual relaxed look into a more frantic one. He noticed how the visible eye had lost some light, which had been replaced with a shadow. 

He begged his body to move, knowing that whatever happened next would only cause him more pain. However... Maybe if he waited, and listened to what Kisumi had to say, they still stood a chance of being friends. Kisumi would say that he didn't return any of Ikuya's feelings, but they could still meet up occassionally. Even if Ikuya couldn't have the relationship with Kisumi that he wanted the most, he wouldn't trade anything for their friendship... Even his own happiness. 

And so, he waited for Kisumi to catch him up.

Kisumi came to an abrupt stop in front of him, hair slightly askew as he struggled to regain his breath, much like Ikuya had done moments before. 

"Look, Kisumi…" Ikuya decided to say what he needed to first, taking a deep breath. He wasn't sure of the last time he had talked so much in one go, and knew that he was going to need all of his energy for this particular speech. "I don't know exactly what those guys told you, but I guess you know enough... And you know I like you, which is... Kinda a new thing for me, so I apologise if I handled this badly... But I understand if you want nothing to do with me, and just want... Whatever this is to end, in which case I guess I'll be kind of sad, but if its what you want then I'm willing to-"

Ikuya had to come to quite an abrupt stop. He was prepared to keep going, as there were still a few things he wanted to say, but it would be almost impossible to do that, given his current situation. As, surprisingly, his lips were now locked onto Kisumi's. 

It took Ikuya an embarrassingly long time to realise what was happening, and by the time he had come to the terms with the fact that they were kissing, Kisumi had already leant away. However, Ikuya could still feel the warmth left over on his lips, and the tingling from before was now spreading throughout his entire body. 

He must have been wearing quite a comical expression, and Kisumi descended into a fit of giggles within seconds. 

"S-Sorry about that, Ikuya, I just... Aha, I wanted you to shut up, and that seemed like the best way to do it." Familiar purple orbs then glanced up, dancing with their usual light that never failed to take Ikuya's breath away. "Now... Instead of leaping to conclusions like last time... Do you want to go back to the café and talk things out?" 

Ikuya didn't trust himself to speak, his face felt completely numb anyway, and so he settled for a mute nod. Kisumi gave another small laugh, reaching out a hand to link with Ikuya's as he began leading them both back in the direction of the café. 

Maybe feelings weren't so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehh, this was my first time writing Ikuya, so I hope I did him ok :3
> 
> Leave a comment if you have a request!


	18. Would You Rather {Rinrei}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Crystal1198 <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeep, this is so late, I'm so sorry ;^; I got sick, and Christmas was just really hectic, but I'm back now! Here's an... Interesting RinRei XD Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Rei struggled to keep his mouth shut as he watched the movie. There was only so much he could take. At first he had tried to swallow his pride, resigning himself to endlessly suffer throughout the impracticalness and sheer idiocy of the film and its dim characters. None of them seemed to have half a braincell between them, and Rei's patience was running out. 

"I don't understand! It was so blatantly obvious the whole time, how did she not notice that-" 

"Rei, no offence, but shut up. Just enjoy the movie."

Rei shuffled uncomfortably, causing Rin to let out an indignant whine from his position snuggled against Rei's shoulder. As Rin tried to get himself comfortable again, Rei narrowed his eyes at the screen, trying to burn a hole in it with the power of his glare. Of course he wasn't going to turn it off, he had learned from Haruka that Rin loved all cliché sci-fi romance films (although he would never admit that out-loud) and Rei had wanted to make their first night together as a couple as pleasant as he could. But, then again, there was only so much he could take.

"Alright, I understand that some things need to be overlooked for the sake of the plot, but did you see that?!? That spaceship just landed on top of the Empire State building, how do you not notice that?!?" Rei raised an agitated hand to push up his glasses, his frustration almost making his entire body tremble. There were many good sci-fi films, and many good sci-fi films that included romance, so why did this one have to be so terrible and unrealistic? 

"Okay... We'll turn this off and do something else." All of Rei's previous complaints towards the movie vanished in an instant at Rin's words, as he sat up abruptly, his sulk finished as he became overcome with guilt. 

"There's no need for that! It's not too bad, I can manage! Honestly, I just like to evalutate films and give them some constructive criticism! You can ask Nagisa and Gou, it drives them up the wall! We can keep watching-" 

"No, seriously, Rei, it's fine," Rin sat up as well, giving a relaxed grin as he placed a reasurring hand on Rei's shoulder, as if to keep him rooted in his panic. "I've seen it before. The ending sucks, so I don't really wanna see it again anyway." 

Rei paused at that, his over-dramatic hand-gestures and expression coming to a halt as he examined his boyfriend. Judging by Rin's dedication to avoiding eye contact, the way he was fiddling with his thumbs and allowing a few strands of hair to fall over his face, his insistence to stop the movie was for a reason entirely different to Rei's saltiness. 

"Rin... My deductions are telling me that the movie has a sad ending." 

"H-Huh?" That caused Rin to glance up, his scarlet-eyes blown wide in defensive indignation. However, Rei was able to spot the small tears glistening at the edges of Rin's eyes, as if the memory itself was making him emotional. 

"One of them dies, don't they?" 

"N-No." 

"And it makes you cry, I'm guessing." 

"Shut up, Rei!"

Rei let out a small chuckle as Rin turned his head to the side, sticking his nose in the air with an extremely childish pout. Rei found it quite cute, but of course he would never voice that thought out loud, as the teasing would suddenly be fired back at him. He loved Rin, but he knew that there would be no mercy. 

"Well, in that case, what would you like to do?" Rei stood from the couch, grabbing the remote and switching off the TV. He could hear Rin shuffling around on the cushions behind him as he picked up the disc from the DVD player, tempted to through the useless piece of metal in the bin. He couldn't hide his relief at finally stopping the movie, as he didn't know how much more stupidity his mind could take. 

However, once he turned back around to face his boyfriend, he realised that maybe continuing the movie was the safer option. After all, he would only have ended up pulling his hair out in annoyance, with a sobbing Rin to deal with in the aftermath. Now, though... Rin looked to be thinking up something quite horrible, as he uttered the dreaded words: 

"Let's play a game."

"No. No, that is an awful idea." One could have taken Rin's statement as a harmless one. For example, he could have been proposing a game of Scrabble, or Monopoly. However, Rei knew the redhead better than this.

"Well, what else are we gonna do?" Rin grinned, refusing to let up. In fact, Rei's stubborn refusal seemed to make him even more excited. "Look, let me at least explain it first. You've heard of 'Would You Rather,' right?" 

"Unfortunately, yes." 

"Cool, so it's basically Would You Rather... But we have to do the option that we chose we'd rather do. If that makes sense."

"Yes, it does make sense..." Rei pushed his glasses up again, momentarily wondering if he should have just pretended not to understand, making Rin explain the game for as long as possible to try and prevent the inevitable future. However, it did sound quite dull to listen to the same thing for hours, and it wasn't as thought Rei could refuse... 

"So, you good to play?" 

"I suppose..." At Rei's words, Rin's grin seemed to widen even more, revealing his incredibly sharp teeth which made Rei almost feel as though he had made a deal with the devil. In a sense, maybe he had. 

Rin was extremely eager to get on with the game, but Rei wanted to set up a few things first, and make the room a little more beautiful. He fetched a few snacks from the kitchen, such as some packets of crisps and sweets, and a can of coke for both of them. Meanwhile, he allowed Rin to grab some blankets from the closet and use the pillows in the living room to set up a den for them. He wanted to try and make the room as harmless and hazard-proof as possible, although it did make him feel as though he was a thirteen-year-old girl in a cringe-filled high school movie.

"Right, then, I'll start so you can get the gist of it," Rin announced once they were settled. Rei nodded, not having an argument with that, and opened his can of coke. Hopefully Rin would ask something quite simple, such as 'would you rather look at puppy pictures or kitten pictures?' Rei wasn't entirely sure which one he would choose if given that problem. 

"Would you rather be a top or a bottom?" 

Rei choked on his coke. He struggled to put the can back on the floor as coughs racked his body, staring up at Rin with watery, pleading eyes. He couldn't be suggesting what Rei thought he was. Was the whole game idea simply to try and get to this stage? If so, Rei was feeling quite betrayed. They had set up all of the blankets and the snacks, it would be a shame for them to get ruined so early on. 

"Aw, I'm sorry, Rei, I was just kidding," Rin said lightly, his voice trembling with barely-contained laughter. Rei felt a sturdy hand pat him on the back as he finally managed to catch his breath, panting as he readjusted his glasses and tried to regain his composure. That was a little shock to the system, to say the least. 

"My actual question for you is... Hm..." Rin leant back thoughtfully on his elbows, eyes travelling around the room as if he was looking for some kind of inspiration. Rei tried following his gaze to tell what Rin had in store for him, but found it quite challenging. However, when Rin's eyes stopped on Rei's phone, he felt a wave of dread roll over him. It didn't take a lot of thought to realise that Rei was going to be in for a lot of embarrassment. 

"Would you rather text Haru or Makoto to tell them that you've lost your virginity?" 

Rei let out the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding, staring sadly down at his phone. He slowly got to his feet, feeling the weight of his choice weighing down on his shoulders as he made his way over to where his phone rested. 

"Wait up, Rei, you gotta tell me who you're sending it to first!" Rin called from his position on the floor, causing Rei to let out another long-suffering sigh. "Fine... I'm going to send it to Makoto-senpai, as I think I feel more comfortable confessing something like that to him." 

Rin gave a small shrug at that, watching expectantly as Rei made his way back to their makeshift den on the floor. His phone felt heavy in his hand, and he unlocked it with trembling fingers, slowly swiping to his messaging app as if his slow speed would put a stopper in his horrible task.

"Do you really have to watch?" He spoke with irritation, feeling Rin's breath grace his ear as he poked his head over Rei's shoulder. 

"Well, of course I do!" Rin replied cheerfully, leaning over even more so that he was able to see the screen, which by now had been navigated to Rei's chatlog with Makoto. "I need to make sure you stay true to your word and do it, after all!" 

Rei let out his third sigh of the last minute, and began typing out his message. He could hear Rin snickering in amusement, and resisted the temptation to shrug his shoulder up and knock his boyfriend in the chin. However, he managed to cool himself with the reminder that it was his turn next, and he could make Rin do whatever he wanted. 

'Makoto-senpai.  
I just wanted to let you know that I have recently lost my virginity. I was just informing you this, due to Rin's inexplicable desire for me to tell you.  
Kind regards,  
Rei.'

Rin's previously soft giggling transformed into outraged shouts as Rei sent the message, the familiar little whoosh of it being delivered filling the room. Rei had never found that sound so haunting. 

"What the hell, dude?!? Now he's gonna think we had sex!" Rin cried, trying to wrench the phone out of Rei's grip, who subsequently turned the device off. 

"Well, of course he is! Who else would I have sex with, anyway?" Rei replied hotly, placing his phone to the side. He made sure that the ringer was on full volume, so that he was notified when Makoto made his reply. 

"That's a good point, actually," Rin added, crawling back over to his side of the den and opening his packet of crisps. "So, give me a question." 

Rei paused thoughtfully, shuffling away from his phone slightly. He didn't really want to be near it anymore, knowing what had just been committed.

"Would you rather eat a spoonful of marmite, yes I do have some in the cupboard, or play the rest of the game shirtless?" Rei asked eventually, trying to take his mind off the text and distract himself with something else. Rin's abs were quite beautiful, after all, and Rei knew how much the other despised marmite. 

Rin seemed completely aware of Rei's plot, giving a knowing smirk as he shrugged his T-shirt smoothly off his shoulders. Despite Rei wanting to see Rin shirtless, he couldn't help but get extremely flustered when his boyfriend's shirt was successfully off, and found himself wishing that he had gone for something else. It wasn't pleasant to be a blushing mess for the entire game, after all, and he could already tell how much teasing he would receive for it. It was quite peculiar, really, how Rei had seen Rin in a swimming costume countless times before, but it always seemed to mean something a little more when it was in this kind of situation.

"Well... My question for you is... Would you rather be spanked three times or kissed once?" 

Rei paused, momentarily being blinded by confusion as he tried to figure out the reasoning behind Rin's question. 

"Um... Rin, you do realise that I would have just kissed you if you asked, right?" He said slowly, testing out the words. He still wasn't completely sure whether Rin was planning something else, or whether he just wanted a little make-out session. 

"Yeah, of course I do! But I would've taken my shirt off if you had just asked," Rin replied simply, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, is that a yes to the kiss?" 

Rei gave a small nod and inched forward, pressing his lips quickly to Rin's. Despite only getting together quite recently, they had already done a decent amount of kissing, and Rei no longer got too embarrassed by the action. 

"Hold up, Rei. I'm the one initiating this," Rin said as Rei pulled away, giving his wrist a small tug. Rei glanced back to be met with Rin's familiar sharp-toothed grin, and then abruptly felt Rin's lips against his again. 

He didn't really know where Rin wanted to go with it, so he forced himself to relax and let Rin take the lead. It wasn't really a surprise when his glasses were removed, a typical habit of Rin's that Rei noticed after their first few kisses. He was expecting the gentle touches that followed, Rin's fingers tracing the space under his eyes with soft, sweeping movements as Rei finally allowed himself to partake in the kiss, bringing a hand up to run through Rin's hair. It had become like a ritual for them. Rei was not expecting, however, the other hand that Rin brought up to run around his neck, or the small moan that left his own lips at the action, feeling shivers run throughout his body as the tension between them spiked. This had never happened before. 

Rei was suddenly aware of everything, how alone they were in his house, how Rin was completely shirtless, how his parents wouldn't be home until tomorrow, how they could go all the way if they wanted to- 

And then Rin pulled away.

Rei was left gasping, his body trembling, his muscles feeling like lead. He felt as though his face was on fire, and Rin's cheeks had also deepened to a dark shade of red that seemed to match his hair and eyes, which sparkled under the dim lighting of the living room's lamps. Rei realised what he wanted, and was quick to act upon it. 

"Rin... Would you rather go home, or..." Rei found himself stumbling over the words. He knew what he wanted to say, the phrase echoing around in his head, ready to drive him insane. Only a few words, that was all he had to speak. 

"Or... Or what?" Rin seemed to be cooling down a little, which made Rei slightly panicked. Was he missing his chance? 

"U-Uh... Would you like to... Um..."

"...?" 

"Er…" 

"Rei?" 

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SEX?!" Rei wasn't expecting it to come out so loud, but he had managed to speak the fateful words, and that was really all that mattered. He moved to push up his glasses again, before realising that Rin had chucked them to the side during their make-out session, leaving Rei effectively blind. He was quite glad for that, he didn't have to see the expression on Rin's face at his embarrassingly-executed proposal. 

"Rei..." 

"Yes?" 

"I honestly thought you would never ask." 

And as the two made their way towards Rei's bedroom, they failed to notice the distinct 'ding' of a message being received on the phone that lay discarded on the floor.

'Hello big brother butterfly!  
Onii-chan let us play some games on his phone, and we just saw your text!  
We don't know what a virginity is, but we hope you find it soon!  
Maybe we'll ask mummy about it.  
Lots of love,  
Ren and Ran xxx'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Tachibana twins give me life. 
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment if you have a request <3


	19. A New Stroke {Rinrei}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Daisuke_Takahiro (momiji_neyuki) and PorlySenph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I combined two requests to do this one because they were quite similar, asking for a sequel and another RinRei, so I decided to put them together, I hope that's alright ^~^ As I said, this is a sequel to the first RinRei I wrote (Swimming Lessons) so it might be a good idea to go and check that out if you haven't read it yet. 
> 
> A short summary is that Rin is teaching Rei how to do the other strokes, and eventually they end up kissing because they’re adorkable. Anyway, here we go!

Rei felt the shower-water hit his face at full force, lukewarm droplets gradually heating up to become a more relaxing temperature. He stayed there for a little while, just allowing the streams of water to run down his face, eventually hitting the floor and travelling to the drain. 

"Good work today, Rei." A voice came from beside him as Rin entered the shower next to him, shooting a familiar sharp-toothed grin over his shoulder. "You're really getting the hang of backstroke now, Makoto will be impressed." 

Rei had told the rest of the team about his 'secret' swimming lessons long before then, after the first few. Eventually, though, it had become obvious that Rei had gained the ability to swim all four strokes, and could do them at a fairly acceptable level. It probably wouldn't be too early to stop the lessons, and just continue patching up his technique by himself. However, it was nice that the two of them had a proper excuse to hang out alone, especially now that they were dating. This had happened after their second session, with the both of them still quite confused and flustered from the kiss they had shared several days ago.

Rei could still remember it vivdly. 

\--------------------

"So, I'll see you next week? You're definitely improving, but some parts of your breast stroke could still use a little polishing," Rin said, the sun beginning its descent under the horizon behind him. 

"O-Of course!" Rei replied, nervously tightening his grasp on the straps of his swim bag. At that point, he'd recognised that his feelings for Rin were far too passionate for him to think of the redhead as a simple 'friend.' Although he had never truly felt this way about anyone before, he'd read enough cheesy romance novels in class to recognise what the fluttering in his stomach meant, and the light dizziness of his mind whenever Rin was present.

He had a crush, and it seemed to be quite a hopeless one. 

"Cool. See ya," Rin gave Rei a familiar grin and then turned, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets as he began making his way back to the Samezuka dorms. Rei watched him go, trying to will his body to obey his brain's commands, but something kept him from leaving to go his own separate way. He wasn't completely sure what it was, but he was glad that he had stayed, as Rin stopped walking a few moments later. Rei felt himself hold his breath as Rin glanced back, familiar scarlet eyes meeting Rei's purple.

"Hey, Rei?"

Rei's grip on his backstraps tightened, if that was even possible, as he waited for what Rin would say next. Maybe he had forgotten that he had something on next week, and couldn't do their session, or wanted to stop using Samezuka for their lessons, or-

"Are you free on Saturday?" 

Oh. Rei had not been expecting that. 

"I-I... Yes, I am. Why?" Rei spoke the question that was on his mind, his fast-paced deductions not being enough to provide him with an answer. 

"Well, there's this really cool sushi place that just opened, so I was thinking we could go out there," Rin replied evenly, turning so that he was facing Rei completely. He expression was relaxed, confident grin still outlined comfortably on his lips.

Rei, meanwhile, knew that he was probably a flustered mess, his cheeks stained a burning red that he certainly couldn't blame on the sunlight. He pushed his glasses up frantically, trying to cover the majority of his face with his hand. 

"Excuse me if I'm wrong, Rin-senpai, but a-are you asking me out on a date?" Rei asked hesitantly, mumbling softly into his hand. He knew that was probably not the best way to reply to Rin's offer, the most logical would simply be to accept the invitation and go home before he could make too much of a fool of himself. However, he had already done some damage, although Rin didn't seem to take too much offence to Rei's awkwardness. In fact, he seemed to find it quite amusing. 

"I mean, I guess. We did kiss and everything, after all," Rin gave a relaxed shrug, although Rei could see a slight nervous glint in his eyes. Maybe Rin wasn't quite as confident as he seemed.

"I'd really enjoy that, actually..." Rei replied, cheering silently when he finally managed to speak a sentence without stuttering. Just with his small confirmation, Rin's composure seemed to return as he gave a short nod. 

"See you on Saturday, then." 

\--------------------

Rei felt himself burn with embarrassment from the memory, recalling how awkward his reply had been at the time. It was painfully obvious to him now, and the moment would haunt him every night before bed. At least Rin had seen past it. 

And so now they were dating. It was still a secret between the two, although now the rest of his team knew about the late-night lessons, they were bound to begin expecting something. Nagisa especially, who never seemed to leave Rei's romantic life alone. 

"Argh, goddamit, Rei," A small hiss off annoyance drew Rei's attention from his flashback, and he glanced over to see Rin glaring up at the shower cap with an extremely endearing pout on his face. Rei was gradually getting used to this, as although Rin was extremely manly, he did pout a lot.

"What is it, Rin-senpai?" 

"First of all, drop the 'senpai.' We're literally dating, no need for all the formality," Rin replied gruffly, furrowing his eyebrows as he continued to glare at his shower cap. "And second of all, I just realised that I forgot to teach you something extra today."

Rei paused, wondering what Rin could possibly want to teach him at this point. He was pretty sure that he had learnt the basics of everything, and with his added nightly study sessions, there didn't really seem like there was anything he didn't know. Although they would spend the sessions swimming and polishing up Rei's strokes, it eventually became more of a hang-out than a lesson.

"Well... I'm sure you could teach me next week," Rei offered, trying to provide some comfort for Rin, who still looked quite annoyed with himself. Rei turned back to his own shower, closing his eyes as the water hit his face again, soaking through his hair that had previously been clogged with pool-water. 

He was just about to step out of the steady flow of water when a familiar pair of arms wrapped their way around his waist, a weight adding itself to his shoulder. Rei saw a flash of red in his peripheral vision, Rin's familiar mop of crimson hair brushing against the side of his face. 

"I might not be able to teach you the stroke right now..." He murmured slowly, voice sending chills down Rei's spine. He felt a familiar soft pair of lips brush his neck, and couldn't help the moan that escaped from the back of his throat. "But I can definitely teach you something else..." 

Rei turned around, meeting Rin's lips with full force. It wasn't long before there was a hand threading through his hair, untangling the knots that had been left over from the shower. He felt a force beginning to push him back, Rin's movements becoming rougher and more passionate, and Rei suddenly felt the cool stone wall pressing against his back. 

It wasn't rare for them to share moments like these after sessions, content that nobody would accidentally stumble upon their relationship while they were in the secluded shower room after hours. It wasn't exactly how Rei would imagine having his first time, but ever since he got together with Rin, he had been craving the moment when they finally got to the next stage of their relationship. 

His suspicions were only confirmed when the hand that was resting in Rei's hair began travelling further down, sliding along his still-damp chest before reaching his swimming trunks. Rei prepared himself for what was to come- 

"Rei-chan, Rin-chan! I thought I'd come say hi to you guys, how's it goi-" 

God no.

"Oh... Get that dick, Rin-chan!" 

Nagisa, no.

Rei was the first to pull apart from the kiss, while Rin leapt backwards abruptly, both of them turning to glare in horror at the figure standing in the hallway. Nagisa had a familiar smile stretching on his face, his magenta eyes sparkling despite the limited lighting. 

"You know, you guys carry on. Don't let me stop you!" He skipped out, leaving just as suddenly as he had appeared. The room descended into a silence in his wake, despite the constant pattering of Rei's shower that had still been left on. 

Despite how random Nagisa's sudden entrance was, Rei knew that it had probably all been planned. As mentioned earlier, Nagisa seemed to have some sort of obsession with Rei's love life, and it definitely was not appreciated. However, despite the amount of irritation that he was currently feeling, the embarrassment ruled out all of it, and Rei could already feel how much the troublesome little blonde would tease him in the coming days.

None of the previous occurance seemed to affect Rin, unfortunately. 

"You know, he did say that we could carry on-"

"Rin-senpai, NO!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, quite short but oh well! Feel free to leave a request if you have one~


End file.
